The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-19
INDIANA AS A WHEAT-GROWING
STATE.

If the wheat crop which is now being
harvested maintains the average of the last
few years there will be enough and to
Agriculture. the total crop, in 1900 was
SO, 229, 500 bushels in 1901 it was 74S 4OO, 600
bushels and last year it was 67O063. 900 BUSH
els. The great crop of 1898, of 675, ,149, 900
bushels, has only been equaled once since
and that was in 1901. The work of har-
vesting, now at its height in Missouri
and Kansas, will move slowly northward
through Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota and Minnesota. The ten greatest
|>wheat-pfoducing statesl last year. in the
order of production, were: Minnesota
70, 404 bushels; North Dakota, g., 2,s72, ,241 ;
Missouri. 56.266,494; Nebraska. 81, ,726, 451 !;
Kansas, 45,s27,465 South Dakota, 43,97 ,033;
Ohio, &c, ,3S3.379; Indiana, 1884, ,44S; Illinois,
30. .6O1, ,s32; Pennsylvania. A.62S11. Other
States helped to swell the aggregate, but
those named led all the rest. The total
acreage sown in wheat throughout the
United States last year was 46.2O2.424, and
the average yield was 14h bushels to the
acre. The acreage will be somewhat in
creased this year, while the average yield
will probably be about the same.
In the foregoing list of the ten greatest
wheat-producing States Indiana stands
eighth. There was time when it occu-
pied relatively a much more important
position, but the wheat center, like the
population center, has moved steadily west
ward. In 1850 New York was one Of the
great wheat-producing States. In fifty
years the wheat production of New York
! has decreased over 600 bushels, and it's
proportion of the total crop has declined
from 13 per cent. to q little over 1 per cent
The percentages for Ohio and Pennsylvania
have decreased from IA and 10 to z and g.
respectively. New York is no longer rated
| as a wheat-producing State, while the
present great wheat-growing States were
| still wilderness when New York headed
| the list In 1850 the center Of wheat pro-
duction was fifty-seven miles east-northeast
| Of Columbus, o.; in 1850 it was eighteen
miles northeast OF Indianapolis; in 1870
| 1t was eighty-two miles northeast Of Spring
| field. III in 1880 1t was sixty-nine miles
northeast of Springfield, H.; in 1890 1t was
l3S miles southeast of Des Moines, Ia. in
Missouri, and in 1900 1t was seventy miles
west OF Des Moines. In fifty years, there
] fore, the center OF wheat production moved
| about sixty-eight miles TO the westward
| and about ninety-nine miles TO the north.
| Estimated by decades, Indiana reached its
zenith as wheat-producing State in 1880.
since when 1t has declined both absolutely
! and relatively. In 1850 this State produced
16SiS,267 bushels. In 1870 27.7i7.222 bushels.
In 1850 47.2s4,S53 bushels. in 1880 37,31S. I9S
bushels. and in 1900 s4.9S62so bushels. In
1850 il ranked second as wheat-producing
State. in 1879 IL ranked fourth, In 1850 ii
ranked second, in 1890 it ranked fourth, In
| 1850 it ranked seventh and In 1892 "
ranked eighth. AS the wheat acreage Of the
new States is likely TO be increased for
some years To come, there Is no probability
that this State will ever regain its former
relative rank as wheat-producing State.
| The nine States of New England. New
York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania i'm
/ port over s0,cOo.00o bushels OF wheat an
nualIy. not from other countries, but from
other States. II is not likely the time Will
ever come that Indisna win not produce
more wheat than its people consume. but