PRODUCTS United State..
World t. Food Products 1. Rice 2. Wheat** 3. Potatoes** 4. Dairy products** 5. Corn* 6. Hay** 7. Sheep and goats* 8. Millet 9. Cattle (excluding hides) * 10. Swine** 11. Poultry and eggs* 12. Oats** 13. Vegetables (excluding potatoes)* 14. Rye** 15. Sugar* 16. Beans* 17. Barley** 18. Sweet potatoes and 19. Coffee 20. Tobacco* 21. Orchard fruits (not apples)* 22. Apples** 23. Grapes* 24. Tea 25. Cottonseed 26. Peas* 27. Berries** $8,000,000,000 5,000,000,000 5,000,01)0,000 (5,000,000,000) 3,500,000,000 (3,500,000,000) 3,000,000,000 2,500,000,000 2,500,000,000 (2,500,000,000) 2,500,000,000 2,000,00(1,000 2,000,000,000 1,500,000,000 1,500,000,000 600,000,000 400,000,(X)0 (100,000,000) (350,000,000) 300,000,000 300,000,000 300,000,000 (200,000,000) S 30,000,000 900,000,000 (737) 350,000,000 (385) 1,800,000,000 (2410) 2,300,000,000 (1304) 1,000,000,000 (1165) 250,000,000 300,000,000 900,000,000 750,000,000 (943) 750,000,000 (322) 350,000,000 40,000,000 100,000,000 40,000,000 170,000,000 (64) 100,000,000 (87) 160,000,000 (224) 150,000,000 160,000,000 (525) 50,000,000 200,000,000 51,000,000 75,000,000 Total B. Raw Materials 28. Cotton 29. Wood* 30. Wool* 31. Hides* 32. Clay products, brick, etc.* 33. Cement** 34. Rubber 35. Stone** 36. Raw silk** 37. Flaxseed* 38. Flax fiber** V.9,000,000,000: $2,000,000,000 1,500,000,000 (1,500,000,000) 400,000,000 300,000,000 300,000,000 250,000,000 $10,910,000,000 $1,260,000,000 (755) 800,000,000 100,000,000 (38) 250,000,000 200,000,000 120,000,000 80,000,000 25,000,000 Total 810,500,000,000a 82,775,000,000 Relation of Climatic Optima to Other Factors.—A study of maps of production such as are found in Finch and Baker's Geography of the World's Agrieldtore shows that most products are raised in greatest abundance in certain well-defined centers where the climate closely approaches their optima. Nevertheless the fact that the climate
is highly favorable does not necessarily mean that a given plant or animal is produced in large quantities. For example, North Carolina and the neighboring states of Virginia and South Carolina have a climate quite closely approaching that which is most favorable for silk. An appreciation of this fact has led to several determined at tempts to introduce silk raising. When Virginia was settled, silk cul ture was actually ordered by law; it was encouraged by bounties; and its prosecution was stimulated by rhymes like this: In spite of this, silk culture has never succeeded in the United States: The reason is that another factor aside from climate plays the main part. That is the cost of labor. Silk culture demands a great amount of labor in order to supply leaves to the worms for the few weeks in the spring when they arc growing fastest. In order to produce about 10 or 12 pounds of raw silk a ton of mulberry leaves is needed. Hence silk culture is rarely profitable where labor costs as much as in North Carolina, although it might be highly profitable if someone could invent a mechanical way of feeding the worms. Thus it appears that while climate is the chief determinant of the regions where about three fourths of the world's great products skill be produced, allowance must also be made for other factors.