184 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



5,200,000 acres. The crop of 1878 was stated at 1,286,546,000 gallons, 

 being a decline of 202,944,000 gallons from the year previous, and a de- 

 cline of 213,799,000 gallons from the average of the ten previous years. 

 This growing deficit was attributed to the appearance of the phylloxera 

 and reappearance of the oidium. For the year 1879, in the absence of 

 ofScial returns, it was estimated by L'Eeonoraist Fran5ais that 988,000 

 acres had been destroyed and 400,000 acres seriously injured by the 

 phylloxera. The crop was subjected to the most unfavorable atmos- 

 pheric conditions, which, with the ravages of the phylloxera and oidium, 

 gave a return of only 678,994,000 gallons, a decline of nearly one-half 

 from the crop of 1878, and only one-third the amount for 1874. 



AVERAGE YIELD PER ACRE. 



The following estimates of the average yield per acre of principal crops 

 were published by the international statistical congress in France a few 

 years since : 



SUGAE CEOP OF THE WOELD. 



It is estimated that the supply of sugar for the world is about 5,000,000 

 tons. This estimate, of course, does not include the unknown quantity 

 of China, which exports 25,000 tons annually, nor of similar countries 

 inaccessible to investigation; it does, however, include British India, 

 which, although a non-exporting country, produces for home comsump- 

 tion 1,450,000 tons annually. The following estimate of the crops of 

 the years 1878 and 1879 gives the quantity produced in all the princi- 

 pal sugar-producing and exporting countries : 



BEET-EOOT SUGAE. 



