f consumption in the
early years could not have been equal to that of recent years. This
appears very striking with reference to corn. An explanation of the
increased consumption of corn may be found in its larger use for fattening
pork and beef for export as well as for domestic consumption. It has also
entered quite largely, through improved manufacture of meals, starches and
syrups, into table use. The consumption of oats is known to have greatly
increased in its use for breakfast food. The per capita consumption of
wheat, while slightly increased in some quarters through the cheapening of
flour, has been diminished by the larger use of corn and oats, and a far
greater variety of table food. Quite probably, however, the data as to
corn raising in the first few years of this period are not complete. The
years of the war made such statistics difficult to obtain. The difficulty
with reference to wheat raising was by no means as great, since the wheat
raising regions were more directly accessible. Third, the seasons of
abundance and those of poor crops can easily be seen. It is evident that
while the three crops are not always poor together, they are too
frequently so to balance each other in meeting the risks of farmers.
Fourth, it appears that the fluctuations in yield are much greater in late
years. This is accounted for by the greatly increased proportion of lands
cultivated upon the plains of the western states and subject to greater
fluctuations of climate. It will be noticed that the acreage frequently
falls off in the years showing inferior yield. This shows that sowing and
planting have frequently been affected by unpropitious weather. In fact,
wheat fields have frequently been plowed up in the spring and not counted
in return of acreage. Reductions in the acreage of wheat, however, appear
frequently succeeding an immense crop. This indicates the effect of low
prices. Fifth, the bearing of the total product upon the prices of these
staples, while suggested by the greatly increased amount, will be more
clearly seen by reference to Chart No. 6.

[Chart.]

Chart VI. Fluctuations in prices of wheat, Indian corn and oats in New
York, 1878-1898. Pages 87-91.

CHART NO. 6

_Fluctuation of prices of wheat, corn and oats in New York, 1878 to 1896._

_Explanation._--This chart exhibits the average price of each of these
three staples in September, December and