Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-22
United States Wheat Crop.

United States Wheat Crop.
The recent estimate that the 1911
wheat crop will be the largest ever
produced in the United States. as an
nounced by the Department of Agri-
culture, lends interest to the records
of production in, and movements into
and out of the country of wheat and
its products as published by tine Blu
reau of Statistics, Department of Com
mercc and Labor. Wheat has always
been an important factor both in the
production and foreign commerce of
the United States. and continues to
increase in Importance in the matter
Of production. though somewhat de-
creasing in the quantity exported.
The wheat production in the United
states in 1870 was 236 million bushels.
i'm 1880. 1885, million; in 1889. 1909
million. dropping to 399 million in 1890
but advancing to 612 million in 1891.
522 million in 1900, and 665 million in
1910; though even higher records were
made in 1901. 748 million bushels. and
1906. 735 millions.
In the fiscal year 1910 the quantity
retained for consumption was $50 mill
lion bushels. being larger than in any
earlier year; and the quantity ex-
ported, 81 million, which was less than
in any fiscal year since 1877. with the
single exception of 1905. when only Al
million bushels were exported In
1908 the exports aggregated 1853 mill
lion bushels. and in 1902, the high
record year in wheat expectations, 235
million. These figures of wheat ex-
portations, it is proper to add, in
clude both that shipped in the grain
and that in the form of flour.
In the fiscal year which ends with the
present month the quantity of wheat
exported will probably be less than in
1910 the total for the IL months end
ing with May having been but % mil
lion bushels. against A million in the
same months of 1909. and of flour,
0 1-3 million barrels, against 81 mill
lion in the same months of 1909. in
dicating a total for the year not to
exceed % million bushels of wheat
and the equivalent of As million BUSH
els in the form of four-a total of
approximately 20 million bushels for
the fiscal year 1911, against 81 million
in 1910, and making for 1911 the small
est wheat export record in so years,
except the abnormally low year, 1905,
when the record was but A million.
Europe is our chief customer for
wheat exported in the natural state
while the larger proportion of that
exported in the form OF flour goes to
the tropics and the Orient OF the
21A million bushels of wheat exported
in the 10 months ending with April.
nearly II million went to the United
Kingdom, sh million to France, mil
lion to Belgium, and million to Can
ada.
Prices of wheat since 1904 show a
material advance over those of the
preceding decade, the domestic quo
tation for No. 2 red winter, in New
York market being, according to the
Bureau of Statistics. S1.26 in 1909 and
s105 in 1908. while in no year from
1892 to 1903 was the average as much
as 81. but ranging down as low as
61c per bushel in 1894. soc in 1901, and
85c in 1903. The export price which
averaged TIC. in the fiscal year 1901,
Sic in 1904. 99c in 1908 and s1.o2 in
1909 only touchd the 81 price in Au-
gust and September of the current
year. 90c in March. 92c III April AMI.
for the IL months ending with May
averaged 93c per hushel.