THE SUPPLY OF WHEAT.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8262, 31 May 1895, Page 3

THE SUPPLY OF WHEAT.

AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. Mr 0. Wood Davis, the well-knowr American sgriouiturisJ end t-tatistiaiar in a'reoent communication says tha 1 the production of rye has long beet falling off in ratio to the population o the world, thus throwing an extrt demand upon wheat, oud that this will play a great psrt in the coaling scarcity and elevation of prices. Mr Davis adds : The time I hive be long Been in the future is drawing near, and the first year that h acn yields of wheat aod rje through* vi tbe world are but average ones, J firmly believe you will see suoh prices for the breadmaking grains as this generation has had no experience of, I am sure you will think me insane when I tell you that, relativly tc requirements, the world'u piodueiive wheat and rye lands are deficient by nearly fifty millions of nores, and that, with no more than average yi Ids, Europe must more thin double her imports, if the grain can ba had. The London • fctenJard' BBys : In Mr Davis's statement ihere is notbiog approaching insanity, though the extraordinary wheat yields of (he last four years have led pecp'e to thi, k it absurd. Average yields p r ac;e of wheat and rye throughout the world would leave stocks aim st exh rusted in twelve months, bat tin sab tanti >I rise in price that would result would Stimulate increased cultivation to suoh an extent that a fair harvest Would give ub superfluous wheat once more. There would be no difficulty in increasing the wheat area of Europe by twenty millions acres in a single season, while North and South America and our Colonies could equally do the res'. It v ail a question of prioe.