Chart VII. Annual fluctuations in the price of wheat in New York, 1878-1897. Page 91.
Annual fluctuations in the price of wheat. Highest year, lowest year, and average of twenty years in New York, 1878 to 1897
Explanation.—This chart is intended to show the tendencies of the market for wheat from month to month throughout the [pg 093] market year. In the center is given the averages of highest prices and of lowest prices for each month in the New York Produce Exchange during the period from September, 1878, to August, 1897, inclusive. The horizontal lines between the averages of extremes give the average price for the twenty years in the several months. The diagonal lines give for each month the extreme fluctuation during the twenty years. Above the lines of averages are given the fluctuations by months in the year 1881-2, the year of highest prices. The upper of the two continuous lines gives the top prices of the month and the lower the bottom prices. The short horizontal lines give the average price for each month; and the double horizontal line across the chart represents the average price for the year. Below, the fluctuations in wheat prices for 1894-5, the year of lowest prices, are shown in the same way. At the top of the chart are given, in millions of bushels, the receipts of wheat in New York. The shaded double column in the center under each month gives the average receipts for twenty years. To the left, a single column shows the receipts for 1894-5. To the right, a single column gives the receipts for 1881-2. Since the receipts at New York are chiefly for export, the general correspondence between receipts and prices is rather a result of a larger application of supply and demand than an exposition of it. The chief use of the chart is to show the fluctuation of prices under varying local conditions. The figures on the left give the price per bushel, and the figures on both left and right at the top indicate millions of bushels.
CHART NO. 8
Chart VIII. Prices of wheat in England, 1300-1890. Page 93.
Prices of wheat in England for 600 years, 1300 to 1900
Description.—This chart is to show at a glance the history of the wheat market in England for the past six hundred years. The record of the first four hundred years is taken from Rogers' “Agriculture and Prices.” That for the eighteenth century, less complete, is taken from Schoenhof's “History of Money and Prices.” The nineteenth century record is from the report of the statistician of the United States Department of Agriculture. All [pg 095] are reduced with care to the basis of bushels and dollars and cents. The figures on the right and left show the price per bushel in United States money.