year ago. In Germany the condition of winter wheat is officially 

 rated average, but the much more important bread grain, rye, is 

 under average, while the appearance of clover and alfalfa is the worst 

 in years. Winter cereals in Austria are somewhat backward, and 

 the spring-sown show unsatisfactory germination. In Hungary 

 wheat was damaged by field mice and frost during the winter to the 

 extent of 10.3 per cent, representing a loss of probably 15,000,000 

 bushels. From the Balkan States there are no serious complaints, 

 but reports are not so roseate as at this time last year, when predic- 

 tions were already being made of the most bountiful season the coun- 

 try had ever known. 



In so far as known, cereals in Russia seem to have wintered well, 

 excepting in parts of some of the southern governments, where more 

 or less extensive replowings were necessary. Winter was prolonged 

 over practically the entire country until mid-April. Spring sowings 

 were everywhere much delayed, and some apprehension is felt 

 respecting the possible consequences to the important spring wheat 

 crop in case of droughty weather later in the season. 



CANADA. 



All indications point to a heavy increase of spring-wheat acreage 

 in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. Various causes have made 

 this result probable. Immigration has been exceptional; over 48,000 

 homestead entries were made during the last year, and a wide extent 

 of new ground has been brought under the plow. Seeding about a 

 fortnight later than a year ago, but favored, with rare exceptions, by 

 almost ideal conditions of soil and weather, was mostly completed 

 by May 1. It is officially stated that Manitoba and Saskatchewan 

 had 70 per cent of the proposed area sown at the end of April and 

 Alberta and British Columbia 80 per cent. Estimates of a 25 per 

 cent increase over the area sown in 1910 are common; should they 

 be verified over ten and one-half million acres will be under wheat 

 in the three provinces this year. The surface under flaxseed, it is 

 believed, will also be heavily augmented. 



In the eastern Provinces of the Dominion, excepting the unimpor- 

 tant producer Nova Scotia, the culture of wheat is on the decline, 

 the area having fallen from 1,676,000 acres in 1890 to 899,000 in 1910, 

 whereas during the same period the acreage in the western Provinces, 

 not including British Columbia, increased from 1,010,000 to 8,396,000 

 acres. The statement following shows the development of the wheat- 

 growing industry and of the wheat-export movement in the Domin- 

 ion during the past 20 years, as indicated by census reports for 1890 

 and 1900 and estimates of the Dominion Department of Agriculture 

 for 1908, 1909, and 1910. 



[Cir. 19] 



