INFLUENCE OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS 203 
The general conclusion would appear to be that immigration 
from Italy to the United States exhibits a better agreement with 
pig iron production in the United States than it does with crop 
values in Italy. It remains to test this assumption by other methods 
of approach. 
Fluctuations in Immigration Peculiar to Italy. 
In addition to the above comparison between the statistical 
evidences of fluctuations in crop values, pig iron production, and 
immigration from Italy, an examination was made of the unique 
movements in immigration from Italy; for it appears plausible 
that further knowledge of the influences which account for fluctua- 
tions in Italian migration may be obtained by examining the ecir- 
cumstances surrounding marked changes in the ratio of immigration 
from Italy to total immigration. 
We have had occasion to note the fluctuations in this ratio (See 
Chart 35 and Table 45), and also the fluctuations in the actual 
numbers from Italy (Chart 33 and Table 44). These two sets of 
fluctuations are frequently similar. In eleven years in the two 
decades ending in 1914, an increase in actual numbers of immigrants 
from Italy results in an increase in the fraction of total immigration 
which arrived from that country, indicating that there has not been 
an equivalent change in the other elements in the immigrant 
stream. However, there are also several instances, such as 1902 
and 1903, where a substantial change in the number of immigrants 
brings no equivalent change in the ratio to total immigration. 
Comparisons with Crop Conditions. 
A comparison of the marked changes in the ratio of immigrants 
arriving from Italy to total immigration with descriptive statements 
of crop conditions* prevailing in the preceding calendar year reveals 
a slight tendency for a relative increase in this ratio to be preceded 
by somewhat poorer crops than the years in which there is a relative 
decline in immigration. In the five years ending June 30, 1892, 
1904, 1907, 1908, and 1910, this ratio declined one tenth or more 
from the ratio of the preceding year. In the years ending the pre- 
ceding December crops are reported as excellent in one, good in 
two, and fair in two. On the other hand, in seven years (1891, 
1893, 1896, 1897, 1906, 1909, and 1913) in which the ratio increased 
#Based, not on our index of aggregate values of leading crops, but on descriptive 
statements of erop conditions compiled by Dr. W. L. Thorp.