517 



of over<220,000 acres. Wheat-cultnre especially has shown great ex- 

 pansion. In 1815, this grain occupied 11,346,493 acres, producing 

 111,982,133 bushels, or 9.9 bushels per acre; in 1873, 10,857,409 acres 

 yielded 232,290,048, or at the rate of about 13^ bushels per acre. During 

 the year last named the croi)s of leading countries in Europe and 

 America were estimated as follows: England, 100,027,114 bushels; 

 Scotland, 3,808,772 bushels ; Ireland, 0,915,837 ; total United Kingdom, 

 117,411,723 bushels; Prussia, 80,278,801 bushels; Austro-Hungary, 

 112,151,000 bushels; Russia, 227,040,000 bushels; Spain, 187,308,000 

 bushels ; Italy, 101,405,200 bushels ; United States, 281,254,000 bushels. 

 The ruling prices of wheat in France are stated as being between $1.14 

 and $1.35 per bushel, averaging $1.23; but local circumstances un- 

 doubtedly considerably widen this margin. In abundant years Prance 

 has a surplus of wheat for exportation ; in scant years she finds it nec- 

 essary to import. From 1810 to 1873 short crops in thirty-four years 

 required an excess of imports ; in twenty-four abundant years the ex- 

 ports were in excess; the imports are mostly drawn from Eussia, Poland, 

 Prussia, the United States, lioumania, Spain, Italy, and Egypt. The 

 liberalization of tariff' legislation in different countries during twenty 

 years has exerted a very favorable influence upon the French grain- 

 trade. 



The vineyards of France cover 4.27 per cent, of her area, and are 

 found in all the departments except ten. This culture has notably in- 

 creased since 1788, when from 3,873,943 acres 132,088,000 gallons of 

 wine were produced, averaging nearly 35 gallons per acre. In 1873 

 the acreage had risen to 4,975,842, and the production to 943,528,080 

 gallons, averaging 189 gallons per acre. The most abundant year, 1875, 

 yields about 2,113,000,000 gallons, while 1854, the poorest of late years, 

 yielded only 285,044,001 gallons. In 1806 the average price was 20 cents 

 per gallon; in 1873, 41 J cents. In 1837 the importation of common 

 wines amounted to only 14,318 gallons, valued at $4,442, and the exports 

 to31,224,281 gallons, valued at $8,503,094. In 1873 the imports amounted 

 to 15,970,303 gallons, valued at $4,913,448, and the exports to 100,052,195 

 gallons, valued at $55,453,249. Wines are imported mostly from Spain, 

 Italy, and Germany. The bulk of the export goes to England, Belgium, 

 the United States, Germany, and Algeria and other French colonies. 



EoTATiON OF FLAX. — At the last session, at Nantes, of the Associa- 

 tion frangaise pour V Avancement de Science, M. Reynard presented a paper 

 showing that economic or industrial plants, which return to the soil 

 little or nothing in exchange for the fertilizing principles withdrawn 

 from it, should not be cultivated 'two years successively upon the same 

 ground. Flax is one of these, and should not be grown even once with- 

 out a heavy covering of the strongest manures. In common with other 

 tap-rooted plants absorbing their nourishment from the extremity, the 

 flax uses the fertilizing principles of the surface while absorbing those 

 of the subsoil. Pliny said, with reason, that this plant burned and im- 

 poverished the soil. 



The interval between flax-crops has varied in past ages. Anciently 

 it was fifteen years, but flax was then not in so general use as now ; 

 such long intervals then made the crops more excellent. Flanders, to 

 sustain the reputation of her linen fabrics, formerly held to an interval 

 of twenty years, though many efforts were made to shorten it, and the 

 interval is now variable. In France it ranges from three to seven years. 

 The shorter intervals secure but indifferent quality of fiber, while longer 

 periods are observed by experienced cultivators. The Belgians vary 

 from three to twenty years. 



