The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-06-30
WHEAT PRODUCTION, ExPORTA-
TION AND CONSUMPTION IN
THE UNITED STATES

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 the Bur-
q of Statistics, Department of Com
merce 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 i'm the United
States in 1870 was 236 million BUSH
els; in 1880, 1881 million; in 1889,
1901 million dropping to 800 mil
lion in 1890 but advancing to 612
million in 1870 522 million in 1900,
and 665 million in 1910; though even
higher records were made in 1901,
748 million bushels, and 1906, 735
million.
Much has been said about the low
product per acre of wheat in the
United States when compared with
that in European countries, and it is
doubtless true that wheat production
in certain countries of Europe, where
great attention is given to the care
of the land and the supply of proper
soil foods, is greater per acre than in
the United States. On the other hand
however, 1t is equally true and inter-
esting that the yield per acre in the
United States is increasing, having
averaged 1873 bushels per acre in
1901, against IA bushels per acre in
1907 and 1908, 12R bushels in 1904
10 bushels in 1894 and 1Ok bushels
in 1885. While the reduction per
acre, of course, f1unctuates from year
to year, the average production per
acre during recent years has clearly
been higher than the average for the
last decade Or two. This slight in
crease in the quantity, coupled with
the material advance in price,
brought the average farm value per
acre for 1909 up to 1852 per acre,
against an average of about half that
that figure in the period from 1890
to 1900.
Meantime the quantity of wheat
retained for domestic consumption !
has greatly increased, while the guam
tity exported has been reduced. In
the fiscal year 1910 the quantity re-
tanned for consumption was $50 mil
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 "A million bushels were
exported. In 1908 the exports ag-
gregated 1853 million bushels, and in
1902, the high record year in wheat
expectations, 235 million.
These figures of wheat eXportat-
ions, 1t is proper to add, include both
that shipped in the grain and that
in the form of -four. The share of
the wheat exports in the form of -four
In the fiscal year 1910 was 46.5 %,
and in 1908, when the quantity ex-
ported was abo t double that of !
1910, but 3S.4%. In those years in
which the expectations are extremely
small the share exported in the form
of -four is larger than in years of
large wheat exports. In 1905, for
example,, when the wheat exporta-
lions touched the lowest figure in
many years-44 million bushels-the
share which went in the form of
flour was $3.50 against 34% in 1902,
the high record year for wheat ex-
ports. In the fiscal year which ends !
with the present month the quantity
wheat exported will probably be ]
less than in 1910, the total for the {
months ending with May having {
been but 20 million bushels, against ]
"A million in the same months of t
1909, and of flour, 9 1-3 million bar
rels, against Sk million in the same ]
months of 1909, indicating a total
for the year not to exceed rs million
bushels of wheat and the equivalent
Of As million bushels in the form of
four-a total of approximately 70 G
bushels for the fiscal year S
1911, against 81 million in 1910, '
md making for 1911 the smallest
wheat export record in 80 years, ex-
,ept the abnormally low year, 1905, v
when the record was but A million. c
Europe is u chief customer for !
wheat exported in the natural state, d
While the larger proportion of that ex- r
,orted in the form of -four goes to