The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-28
OUR YEARLY FOOD SUPPLY.
NcW York Sun.

measured by the abundance and nu-
tritivc value Of its food then the
United States stands easily ut the
head Of the dominant nations Of the
world. Not only can the farms, the
meadows and the orchards supply tho
needs OF our OWN citizens, but there is
left an immense surplus to be shipped
to other countries. During the past
ten years the nations wheat crop has
averaged about 4G5 900, 900 bushels,
ranging from less than 400 ,O0O, 900
bushels in 1893 to more than 600 900.
600 two years earlier. The average
yearly exports Of this wheat for the
same decade were 40 ,000, 900 bushels,
leaving 32j 900, 900 FIR home con.
sumption.
Excluding the wheat used for seed
and for purposes other than human
food, the present consumption is cst-
mated to be little less than one bar.
rel of -four per capita, or 10000, 900
barrels for the nearly 1000, 900 pop.
ulation. That means an annual con
sumption of l4,0OO, 600, 900 pounds of
four-a bulk which, put into u single
receptacle, would require barrel
twice the height of Washington monu-
mcnt and corrcspondingly big in cir.
cumference. Were all this -four made
into bread it would yield 10000, ,OOO,-
600 pound loavcs. Reversing the me.
taphor Of the sermon on the Mount
and "giving bread for stonc," these
loaves would pave roadway sc feet
wide and extending around the world.
If bakery wagons were loaded each
with thousand of the loavcs 20, ,OO0,-
600 would be needed to move the
bread. They would makea procession
over 10000 miles long or eighteen
abreast from ocean to ocean. Of
course, not all the -four is made into
bread, since millions Of pies, cakes
and other products of the cooks art
come from these 100000 flour bar
rcls.
Last year the farms of the country
raised wheat sufficient to supply this
enormous demand at home, besides
sending 143, 100000 bushels to other
countries. Of this export two,thirds
went to Great Britain and less than u
tenth to the rest Of Europe. Six
bushels in hundred went to our
ncighbors on the North and nine more
to the other American countries.
Australia and Asia took 1O,OOO,OO
bushels and Africa 1000, 900 bushels.
But unless tie nations farms yield
larger wheat crop less will be exported
in the future. At the present rate Of
consuml tion the increased population
will demand the entire product in an
other decade.
Wheat, however, is far from being
the only grain used for food by the
American pooplc. The corn cropis
about four times as large as that of
wheat, and some seventeen hundred
millions Of bushels remain for con-
sumption in our own country. But
only fraction Of this reaches the
stomach Of man direct. For the most
part it is taken in the pork, beef,
milk, butter, eggs and other products
of animals that fatten on it's sub
stance. In recent years, apparently,
the direct use of corn for man food
is increasing with the mixed -four,
the patent food preparations, the
brown bread, corn dodgers and like
cookery. "hho;5 regions 0s The TIC South South
use corn almost exclusively in prefer
cnce to wheat -four.
Then there is the oat crop, avcrag-
ing 700,000:000 bushels, most of
which remains in this country. Amer
leans are rapidly following tho Scotch
in the use of oats as table food,
still only small fraction Of the total
crop is consumed in the home. The
average barley crop is 100000
bushels all but 100000 bush
els Of which remains within the
country. The usual yield Of rye is
28.000,000 million bushels, very little
of which is exported. But tbe barley
and rye are largely reduced to fluid
form before the American consents to
take them into his stomach. Some
10000 900 bushels Of buckwhcat enter
each year into the composition of our
pancakes.
The exact amount Of these various
grains used directly for human food
cannot be determined, but probably
another 5000, 600, 900 pounds must be
added to the wheat -four, making
.stotal Of 10000, ,000, 900 pounds used
each year as food. Large as this
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