The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Part 35

The quant.i.ty of wheat raised in France in 1835 was 71,697,484 hectolitres, of which eleven millions was required for seed. The average produce per hectare was stated at thirteen and a half hectolitres.

The total grain and pulse raised in that year was set down at 204,165,194 hectolitres.

Hectolitres.

Maslin 12,281,020 Barley 18,184,316 Rye 32,999,950 Buckwheat 5,175,933 Maize and Millet 6,951,179 Oats 49,460,057 Peas and Beans 3,318,691

Oats, next to wheat is the largest crop grown in France, for the support of two million horses and three and a half million mules and a.s.ses.

According to the "Annuaire de l'Economie Politique de la Statistique,"

there were 13,900,000 hectares (each about 2 acres) under cultivation with the cereals in France.

The primary article of consumption is wheat. At the rate of three hectolitres (1 qr. bush.) to each individual, every family would require thirteen to fourteen hectolitres, costing 210 to 280 francs (8 15s. to 11 10s.) according as the price varies, between its present value fifteen francs, and its occasional cost twenty francs.

In the reign of Louis XVI, Arthur Young referred with horror to the black bread eaten by the French. Since that time half a century has pa.s.sed, and whilst the agricultural produce in France has tripled in value, the labourers who produce it continue, from custom and necessity, to eat a detestable bread made from rye, barley, or peas and potatoes; and, to make the matter still worse, it is badly baked, without yeast, and being sometimes kept for weeks, it becomes covered with mould, and altogether presents an appearance enough to turn the stomach of a savage.

According to Mr. McGregor's estimate some ten or twelve years ago, the land under wheat culture was 13,808,171 acres, producing 191,000,000 bushels; and 11,715 acres with spelt, or red wheat, the yield of which was 374,000 bushels.

The other crops were--

Acres Crops, bushels Maslin 2,251,438 32,000,000 Rye 6,369,879 76,000,000 Barley 2,936,453 45,000,000 Oats 7,416,297 134,000,000 Maize 1,561,372 20,000,000

Wheat and oats are grown all over Russia, which is the greatest corn land in the world.

In Austrian Italy the yield of grain has been reckoned at three million quarters, but this seems rather low. About one-half of this is maize and rye, and a quarter wheat.

It is reckoned that eight million quarters of grain are raised yearly in Denmark, but this seems doubtful. In 1839, a million quarters of grain, however, were s.h.i.+pped from that kingdom.

BRITISH AMERICAN PROVINCES.

According to the census return of 1852, the number of acres under grain crops, and the produce in Canada, were as follows:--

Lower Canada--Produce. Upper Canada--Produce.

Acres. Bushels. Acres. Bushels.

Lower Canada--Produce Upper Canada--Produce Acres Bushels Acres Bushels Wheat 427,111 3,075,868 782,115 12,692,852 Barley 42,927 668,626 29,916 625,875 Rye 46,007 341,443 38,968 479,651 Oats 540,422 8,967,594 421,684 11,193,844 Buckwheat 51,781 530,417 44,265 639,381 Maize 22,669 400,287 70,571 1,666,513

Flour may be valued at 21s. the barrel.

The grain crops in Lower Canada are taken in the minot, and not in the bushel, except in the towns.h.i.+ps. In like manner, the acres are taken in arpents. An arpent is about one-seventh less than an acre; and a minot about one-eighth (some say one-twelfth) more than a bushel.

During the years 1850-1, Western Canada exported upwards of two million barrels of flour, and three million bushels of wheat, being equivalent to 13,600,000 bushels of wheat. The value of the wheat and flour exported in 1851 was 404,033. Canadian flour, like that of Genessee, is of very superior quality.

WHEAT.--UPPER CANADA.

Bushels. To each inhabitant.

Wheat crop of 1841 was 3,221,991 or 6.60 Do. 1847 7,558,773 " 10.45 Do. 1849 9,706,082 " 12.08 Do. 1851 12,692,852 " 13.33

The quant.i.ty of land under wheat in "Upper Canada was 782,115 acres, showing a yield of about sixteen and three quarter bushels to the acre. The wheat produced in 1852 was valued at nearly two million pounds sterling.

LOWER CANADA.

Minots.

Wheat crop in 1843 was 942,835 or 1.36 Do. 1851 3,075,868 " 3.46

UNITED STATES.

Bushels.

Wheat crop in 1839 was 84,832,272 or 4.96 Estimated by patent office 1847 114,245,500 " 5.50 Crop of wheat 1849 100,684,627 " 4.33

In order, however, to inst.i.tute a fairer comparison, I will divide the States into three cla.s.ses, viz.:--1st. States growing over six million bushels.

Bushels. Population. Bush, per head.

Pennsylvania 15,367,691 2,311,736 6.65 Ohio 14,487,351 1,980,408 7.32 New York 13,131,498 4,148,182 3.16 Virginia 11,232,616 1,421,661 7.90 Illinois 9,414,575 851,471 11.06 Indiana 6,214,458 988,416 6.28 ---------- ---------- ----- Total 69,847,189 11,701,924 5.97

2nd. States growing over one million and less than six million bushels.

Bushels. Population. Bush, per head.

Michigan 4,925,889 397,654 12.39 Wisconsin 4,286,131 305,191 14.04 Maryland 4,494,681 583,031 7.71 Missouri 2,981,652 682,043 4.38 Kentucky 2,140,822 982,405 2.15 North Carolina 2,130,102 868,903 2.45 Tennessee 1,619,381 1,002,525 1.61 New Jersey 1,601,190 481,555 3.27 Iowa 1,530,581 192,214 7.96 Georgia 1,088,534 905,999 1.21 South Carolina 1,066,277 668,507 1.60 ---------- --------- ---- Total 27,865,240 7,078,131 3.93

3rd. The remaining States and territories.

2,791,470 4,466,246 0.63

Total wheat crop in the United States, 100,503,899 bushels.

Population, 23,246,301. Bushels per head, 4.33.

Increase:--U. States, 1839 84,823,272 bushels " 1849 100,503,896 "

----------- 15,680,627

Or 18.49 per cent. in ten years.

Upper Canada, 1841 3,221,991 "

" 1851 12,692,825 "

---------- 9,470,861

Or nearly quadrupling itself in ten years.

Bushels. Population. Bush. per head.

Pr. Ed. Island 1847 219,787 62,678 3.50 Newfoundland 1850 297,157 276,117 1.08 New Brunswick 1850 206,635 193,800 1.06

The Eastern States in 1849 raised 1,090,896 bushels. Population 2,668,106, or 0.41 each.

The population of Upper Canada is 952,904, and allowing five bushels for each, 4,760,020 bushels; and for seed at one and a half bushels per acre 1,173,173 bushels = 5,933,193; leaves for export 6,761,668 bushels. More than sufficient to supply the consumption of the whole of the Eastern States.

"Were the population of Lower Canada to consume flour at the given rate, it would require--

Bushels.

890,261 at five bushels each 4,451,305 Seed 640,000 --------- 5,091,305 Grown 3,075,868 --------- 2,015,437

Leaving a surplus of wheat in Canada 4,746,231 bushels, or at four and a half bushels for each, equal to 1,054,718 barrels of flour.

Professor Johnston in his report on New Brunswick, furnishes some valuable information as to the produce there.