Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-06-23
A CROP ESTIMATE.
Wheat Production. Expectation. and Con-
sumption Of The United States.


ed In the United States, as announc-
ed BY the department Of agriculture,
lends interest to The records OF pre-
duction in, and movements into and
out of the country Of wheat and its
products as published by the bureau
Of statistics, department Of commerce
and labor. Wheat has always been
an important factor both 10 the pro-
ductiOe aid foreign commerce Of the
United States, and continues to in
crease in importance in the matter
reproduction. though somewhat de-
creasing in the quantity exported. l..
The wheat production in the Unit
ed States in 1870 was 236.0O0;OOO
bushels; in 1880, 49S,5OO,OOO; in
1889, 49O,5OO,OOO; Dropping to $780,
100000 in 1890 but advancing to
e12.OOO,OOO in 1897. $4,000, 900 in
1900, and 665,OOO,OOO in 1910;
though even higher records were
made in 1901, 74S,0OO,OOO bushels,
and 1906, 795,OOO,0OO..
Much has been said about the low
product per acre Of wheat in the
United States when compared with
that in European countries, ard it
is doubtless true that wheat produc-
ton 10 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. it is equally
true and interesting that the yield
per acre in the United States is in
creasing having averaged 1873 bush
els per acre in 1909, against Il
bushels per acre in 1907 and 1908,
y! bushels in 1904, l3 bushels in
1894, and l0t bushels in 1885
While the production per acre Of
course fuctuates from year to year
the average production Ter acre
during recent years has clearly been
higher than the average for the lasI
decade or two. This slight increase
10 the quantity, coupled with the ma
terial advance in price, brought the
average farm value. pei acre for 1905
up to $l5,62 per acre, against ar
average Of about bali that figure il
the period from 1890 to 1900.
Meantime the quantity Of wheat re.
taintd for domestic consumption ha:
greatly increased, while the quantity
exported has been reduced. In The
fiscal year 10l0the quantity retained
for consumption was $50 million
bushels, being larger than in any ear
her year; and the quantity exported
81 million, which was less than in
any fiscal year since 1877, with the
single exception on 1905, when only
100000 bushels we're exported.
In 1903 the exports aggregated 1873
million bushels, and in 1902, the
high record year in wheat e1porta.
tons, 235,O0O,OOO.
EIpsnatiSI Figures.
These figures Of wheat exporta-
tons, it 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 465
per cent and in 1908, when the guam
tltY exported was about double that
of 1910, but S84 per cent. 10 those
years in which the expectations are
extremely small the share exported
in the farm of -four is larger than in
years of large wheat exports. 10
1905, for example, when the wheat
expectations touched the lowest 6s.
ure in many yeats-4, OtO, 900 bush
els-the share which went in the form
of -four was $50 per cent against "a
per cent in 1902, the high record
year in wheat of exports. IN the ifs
cal year which ends with the present
month. the quantity of wheat vxport-
ed will probably be less than ia 1910
the total for the eleven months end
ing With May having been but 49,
100000 bushels, against 100000
10 the same months of I 900 and NJ