4 FOREIGN CROPS, MAY-JUXE, 1912. 



three Northwest Provinces the areas are, as estimated as May 31 : Wheat, 

 9,122.000 acres: oats. 5,097,000 acres; and barley. 837.000 acres. 



The condition of tliese cereals in the Northwest Provinces is over 95 per 

 cent, excei)t fall wheat in Alberta, where it is "(0.62 per cent. In Saskatchewan 

 the area under fall wheat is estimated at 53,000 acies: condition May 31, 93.28. 



In Ontario and Alberta — the only Provinces where winter wheat 

 is grown extensivel}- — the areas sown last attttunn were, respect iv'ely, 

 797,200 and 300,700 acres, a total of 1,097.000 acres. Of this total, 

 345,000 acres, i. e., 229,000 in Ontario and 110,000 in Alberta, are 

 officially reported to have been destroyed by the rigors of winter. 

 The total area of winter Avheat left to be harvested in these two Prov- 

 inces is, therefore, only 752,000 acres compared with 1,131,650 last 

 year. 



In the three western Provinces, where spring wheat is grown 

 almost exclusively, delays in seeding Avere caused in many districts 

 by cold weather, excessive moisture, and other causes; on May 1 only 

 50.13 per cent of the spring wheat soAvings Avere completed in Mani- 

 toba, and 61.26 per cent in Alberta, Avhereas at the same date a year 

 ago 70 per cent of the area had been drilled in the former Province 

 and 80 per cent in Alberta. In SaskatcheAvan, by far the most im- 

 portant producer of the three Provinces, conditions were better, 71.54 

 per cent of the area being soAvn on May 1 compared Avith 70 per cent 

 at the same date in 1911. SoAving Avas completed in the latter half 

 of May, and germination was, in general, satisfactory. Weather 

 conditions, on the whole, have been auspicious, and the prospect at 

 the end of June was encouraging. 



Respecting the outcome of the 1911 crop, it may be of interest to 

 note, the Census and Statistics Office has reported in substance as 

 f olloAvs : 



Out of a yield of 215,851,300 bushels of wheat harvested in 1911, 

 188,255,000 bushels, or 87 per cent, Avere merchantable, and at the 

 end of March, 1912, 58,129,000 bushels, or 27 per cent of the whole, 

 were yet in farmers' hands. At the same date in 1911 the quantity 

 in hand in all Canada was 33.042,000 bushels, or 22 per cent of the 

 total crop of 149,989,600 bushels, of which 141,096,000 bushels, or 

 94 per cent, were of merchantable quality. 



Oats, which in 1911 gaA'e a yield of 348,187.000 bushels, was mer- 

 chantable to the extent of 310,074,000 bushels, or 89 per cent, and the 

 quantity in hand at the end of March Avas 153,846,000 bushels, or 

 44.18 per cent. In the preceding year the quantity in hand out of 

 a total harvest cf 323,449,000 bushels Avas 127.587,000 bushels, or 

 39.44 per cent, and there Avas a total of 301,773,000 bushels, or 93.29 

 per cent, of merchantable quality. 



The barley yield of 1911 Avas 40.041.000 bushels; in hand at the 

 end of March 13,235,000 bushels, or 32.50 per cent. The merchant- 



