100 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



World Crop Results and Prospects. 



Accoidiug to the November, 1920, report of the Statistical 

 Bureau of the Interuational Institute of Agriculture, there is little 

 change, as compared with October, in the position of the 1?20 cereal 

 crops. 



Wheal and rye show a slight increase on last year's figures [62.3 

 million metric tons (2200 lb.) in 1920; 61.7 million in 1919]. These 

 totals comprise about three-fourths of the entire yield of wheat and 

 rye in the northern hemisphere, and are exclusive of Russia. The 

 quality of the 1920 wheat crop in the Fnited States is on the average 

 2 per cent, better than last year's. 



The yield of barley is 8 per cent, larger than in 1919, while oats 

 show a substantial increase of 21 per cent, as compared with last 

 year. 



The sugar-beet crops of Prussia, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Italy, 

 Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland. Canada, and the United States 

 amounted in 1920 to 22.2 million tons, which is 36 per cent, more 

 than in 1919. 



Turning to the future, the wheat crop prospects, now almost 

 realized, are still reported as very good in Australia. An almost 

 rainless October in the chief wheat areas of British India has delayed 

 sowings for the 1921 crop on unirrigated land, and the growing rice 

 in parts of Northern India has also suffered from the drought. In 

 the United States seeding of winter wheat has been carried on under 

 fairly favourable conditions ; in Canada the usual ploughing in pre- 

 paration for the next crop is very well advanced. 



In Argentina offers of new crop wheat have been made at some- 

 what lower prices than those of mid-October. 



Sugar-cane Diseases. 



The production of sugar forms an important part of our agri- 

 cultural wealth, and it is estimated that the sugar output for the 

 season 1919-20 added something like £5,000,000 to the value of our 

 agricultural production. It is fortunate, therefore, that at present 

 there is no very serious cane disease threatening the existence of the 

 industry. There are, however, several sugar-cane diseases found in 

 Natal and Zululand which have to be closely watched. Some of 

 these diseases are of such a nature as to reduce the standard of the 

 cane and so aft'ect the yield ; some interfere with or reduce the forma- 

 tion of sugar by the leaves of the cane plant ; while others cause the 

 inversion of the sucrose accumulated in tlie cane stalk, resulting in 

 a loss of sugar, and may also be responsible for troubles with crystal- 

 lization in the mills. Dr. Paul A. van der Byl, the Mycologist in 

 charge of the Natal Herbarium, Durban, whose investigations into 

 the diseases and other matters connected with the sugar-cane are well 

 known, gives us further valuable information on the subject in an 

 article published elsewhere in this number, entitled " Notes on some 

 Sug-ar-cane Matters." The article is illustrated and reviews briefly 

 the fungi found by him associated with cane, and indicates the 

 symptoms by which they can be recognized in the field. 



