342 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



with great pleasure the universal interest felt in its success 

 by all classes of people, and the high value set upon it as an 

 encouragement to agriculture. They are not obliged to 

 defend cattle shows in England. 



The season of 1889 in England was better than that in 

 the United States. The spring was indeed late, but May 

 and June were all that the farmers could ask, — mild and 

 bright, with occasional showers. The hay crop was in 

 consequence unusually large, with the securing of which the 

 rains of the last half of July and the first half of August 

 interfered, as they did in New England. The grain and 

 potato and root crops were abundant ; and, 100 being taken 

 to represent an average crop, the yield of wheat was 101 ; 

 barley, 96.2; oats, 99.8; potatoes, 100.5; beans, 92.0; 

 pease, 92.1 ; and roots, 99.9. The wheat crop was further 

 estimated to be one of 30 bushels to the acre ; a yield some- 

 what surprising to many wheat growers in the United States. 

 The ojfficial reports of the Board of Agriculture give the 

 acreage and yield of cereal crops in 1889 as follows : 

 "Wheat, 2,449,354 acres ; yield per acre, 29.91 bushels ; total 

 yield, 73,200,178 bushels. Barley, 2,121,530 acres ; yield 

 per acre, 31.81 bushels ; totalyield, 67,485,809 bushels. Oats, 

 2,888,704 acres ; yield per acre, 39.31 bushels ; total yield, 

 113,554,954 bushels. The prices of wheat in England have 

 not varied much from month to month during the year, 

 being in January 31s. 3d., and in December 30s. lid. per 

 quarter; while in New York the price in January was 34s. 

 6d. per quarter, and in December 28s. 6d. 



The animal industry of England is always interesting. 

 From her flocks and herds the United States breeders have 

 drawn their most valuable blood for every purpose to which 

 animals are devoted ; and the English farmer has received 

 from his sales of horses, cattle, sheep and swine, a larger 

 remuneration than from any other branch of his business. 

 I learn that the sales of pure-bred stock during the past 

 year, both of cattle and horses, have been most satisfactory. 

 Early in the year the sales of shire horses were large, the 

 most important of which was the sale of Mr. Gilbey, at 

 which the Duke of "Westminster paid five hundred guineas 

 for Stanton Hero, and the Prince of Wales three hundred 



