FOREIGN CROPS; MAY-JUNE^ 1912. 7 



(grain) crops. Rain the last 10 days of the month, however, effected a material 

 improvement, but much more was needed. Wheat is now generally healthy and 

 vigorous, though straw is short, but the crop is rather variable and mostly thin 

 on the poorer soils. Barley is hardly satisfactory, as germination has been 

 very irregular nearly everywhere, especially among the later-sown crops, and it 

 Is not yet all above ground. There are many reports of damage by wireworm. 

 Oats are also generally uneven and suffering from lack of moisture; still the 

 crop is healthy generally, though thin. The acreage under barley is rather less 

 than last year, that under oats rather more. Beans, although short iu straw, 

 are generally promising, except iu the west midlands, where frost has done much 

 damage. Peas also promise fairly well. 



Potatoes are generally looking fairly well, although they make but slow 

 growth in the absence of rain, and the crops are not all yet above ground. In 

 most districts frosts have done a little damage to the early crops. The area 

 is slightly larger than last year. 



Mangolds are backward and germinating slowly ; some areas had not yet been 

 sown. Where up, they are looking well, particularly since the recent rains, but 

 in some localities the plant is patchy. 



The long-continued drought has told very severely on the " seeds," and both 

 clover and meadow hay will be much below the average. The eastern, south- 

 eastern, and midland districts are very much the worst, and considerable areas 

 of " seeds " have been plowed up. In the north and Scotland many districts 

 report promise of good crops, although they are outweighed by the number of 

 bad reports. The indications on the 1st of June were that in Great Britain, 

 as a whole, the yield per acre of " seeds " hay would be only 87 per cent of 

 the average, while that of meadow hay might be 92 per cent. 



Hops are looking strong and healthy and growing freely, though somewhat 

 unevenly in places. There is a great deal of vermin, and washing is already 

 general. A rough survey indicates an area this year 3 to 4 per cent greater 

 than in 1911, most of the increase being in Kent. 



Of fruit, strawberries would appear to be somewhat under average. Rasp- 

 berries are fairly promising ; still more so are currants and gooseberries. 

 Apples seem variable, but should probably be an over-average crop. Pears are 

 much better, while cherries may possibly reach a bare average. Plums appear 

 likely to be appreciably below average. 



Pastures became very bare during the dry weather, but are much improved 

 by the timely rains. Live stock have done fairly well during the month, 

 although in some parts, as a result of the dried-up pastures, their condition is 

 somewhat poor. 



Since the publication of the June 1 report the weather has been 

 .seasonably warm and the condition of vegetation has, on the whole, 

 improved. The July 1 report of the Board of Agriculture gives the 

 condition of crops on that date as follows : 



The official figures upon the total imports of wheat and wheat 

 flour into the United Kingdom in 1911 show them to have been of 

 somewhat less than average proportions, owing partly to the excellent 



