312 STATISTICAL SURVEY OF IRISH AGRICULTURE. 



The estimates as to the rates of produce of the crops are necessarily open 

 to more objection on the grounds of strict accuracy 



Bates of Produce than statistics, for example, as to the areas under 

 of the Crops. crops. The yield of the crops depends not only on 

 the character of the soil and the degree of intensive- 

 ness of the cultivation, but also upon climatic and seasonal influences, and 

 consequently it is the resultant of many variants. Hence, no absolutely 

 trustworthy produce figures can be obtained over a large area without such 

 an expenditure of labour and money as the results, when attained, would 

 hardly justify. At the same time, I see no reason to doubt the substantial 

 truth of the produce statistics here given, for, as already stated, they are 

 obtained by the Enumerators from practical farmers and other persons 

 qualified to form an opinion on the subject, and there seems to be no solid 

 ground for attributing any bias, either in the way of exaggerating or under- 

 estimating the yield of their crops, to those who kindly supply the Enume- 

 rators with the returns. 



Comparing the produce of the cereal crops in 1901 with the produce in 

 1900, we find a decrease in wheat of 113,656 cwts., or 12.6 per cent.; in 

 bere, of 337 cwts., or 13.5 per cent. ; in pease of 513 cwts., or 8.6 per cent, 

 with cin increase in oats of 271,377 cwts., or 1.5 per cent.; in 

 barley of 136,131 cwts., or 4.9 per cent; in rye of 3,809 cwts., 

 or 2.6 per cent; in beans of 3,169 cwts., or 7.3 per cent In 

 green crops, potatoes show an increase of 1,530,382 tons, or 83.1 per cent. ; 

 turnips, an increase of 457,874 tons, or 10.3 per cent. ; mangel wurzel and 

 beet-root, an increase of 265,198 tons, or 22.3 per cent. ; and cabbage, an 

 increase of 19,677 tons, or 4.4 per cent Flax shows an increase of 495,148 

 stones of 14 lbs., or 30.4 per cent (following an increase of 483,620 stones, or 



42.2 per cent, in 1900 ; an increase of 69,404 stones, or 6.5 per cent, in 1899 ; 

 a decrease of 87,707 stones, or 7.5 per cent., in 1898 as compared with 1897 ; 

 a decrease of 483,213 stones, or 29.3 per cent, in 1897 as compared with 

 1896; a decrease of 304,173 stones, or 15.6 per cent., in 1896, as compared 

 with 1895 ; a decrease of 1,490,281 stones, or 43.3 per cent., in 1895, as 

 compared with 1894 ; and an increase of 980,1 12 stones, or 39.8 per cent., in 

 1894, as compared with 1893) ; hay from clover, sainfoin, and grasses under 

 rotation, a decrease of 59,549 tons, or 4.4 per cent ; and hay from permanent 

 pasture or grass not broken up in rotation, a decrease of 414,677 tons, or 

 10.8 per cent. ; the entire hay crop showing a decrease of 474,226 tons, or 

 9. 1 per cent. 



The yield per acre of cereal crops in 1901, as compared with that 

 of 1900, shows an increase in wheat from 16.7 cwts. to 18.3 cwts.; 

 in oats from 15.8 cwts. to 16.2 cwts.; in barley from 16.0 cwts. 

 to 18.0 cwts.; in bere from 14. i cwts. to 14.4 cwts.; in rye from 

 12.8 cwts. to 13.7 cwts. ; in beans, from 19.0 cwts. to 20.8 cwts. ; in pease, 

 from 13.5 cv/ts. to 14.8 cwts. In other crops — potatoes show an increase 

 from 2.8 tons to 5.3 tons; turnips an increase from 14.9 tons to 16.9 tons; 

 mangel wurzel and beet root, from 17.2 tons to 18.8 tons; and cabbage, 

 from 10.4 tons to 10.7 tons. Hay from clover, sainfoin, and grasses under 

 rotation shows a decrease from 2.2 tons to 2.1 tons; and the yield of hay 

 from permanent pasture or grass not broken up in rotation, a decrease from 

 2.5 tons to 2.2 tons. The yield per acre of flax was 38.3 stones, agamst 



34.3 stones in 1900, 32.7 stones in 1899, 31.2 stones in 1898, 25.6 stones in 



