TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 



547 



CONDITIONS IN OLDEK COUNTRIES. 



Average yields, 1901 to 1905, inclusive, in 'bushels per acre. 



Crop 



Germany France 



Great 

 Britian 



Bulgium 



United 



States 



Wheat 

 Rye _— 

 Barley 

 Oats — 

 Corn .. 



28.2 

 2-1.9 

 34.3 

 41.1 



20.2 

 16.8 

 Zi.O 

 33.0 



31.7 



34.3 



44.7 



34 

 34 

 46.5 

 64.7 



13.8 

 14.8 

 27.0 

 30.9 

 24.9 



These figures show that in the older countries of Europe, where farm- 

 ing has been followed for many centuries, the problem of satisfactory 

 yields of farm crops has been solved. The agriculture of Germany is more 

 nearly similar to that of the United States than that of any other of the 

 countries mentioned in the above table. It will be noted that the yield 

 per acre of wheat in Germany is more than twice that in the United States, 

 the yield of rye nearly twice as large; the yield of barley nearly a third 

 larger; and the yield of oats more than one-third larger. It will be in- 

 teresting to know how the German farmer maintains these yields. The 

 following statistics give us some information on this point: 



Comparative area of different classes of crops in Germany and the United 



States. 



Classes of Crops 



Germany 



United 

 States 



Cereals 



Hay and forage 



Roots 



Fibers 



Vegetables ami fruits 

 Miscellaneous 



Per 



Cent 



52.0 



S31.4 



13.8 



.8 



2.0 



Per 



Cent 

 64.0 



S21.3 

 1.3 

 9.1 

 3.2 

 1.1 



It will be noticed that the proportionate area of cereals grown in Ger- 

 many is about one-fifth less than in the United States, while the pro- 

 portionate area of hay and forage crops is one-half greater. In addition 

 to that the percentage of the total area which is planted to root crops is 

 enormously greater in Germany than in the United States. These root 

 crops consist largely of potatoes and sugar beets, and the best German 

 authorities estimate that at least one-third of the products of the area of 

 these two crops is available for stock feed. They also estimate that one- 

 third of the products of the area devoted to cereals is devoted to the feed- 

 ing of domestic animals. Germany, therefore, devotes very much more 

 of her soil to the production of feed for live stock than does the United 

 States. 



s Permanent pasture lands not included, as this item is not available for the 

 United States. 



