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FOREIGN CROPS, MAY-JUNE, 1912. 



CANADA. 



The tremendous impulse which during the last two years has 

 added three and three-quarter million acres to the wheat lands of Can- 

 ada has this season not resulted in the expansion anticipated. In 

 3911, it may be recalled. Avheat covered a record area of 10,373,958 

 acres, of which 9,201.939 acres were under the spring and 1.172,119 

 acres under the winter variety. In the current season, owing largely 

 to heavy losses from winter-kill in Alberta and Ontario and to 

 .adverse conditions for seeding spring wheat in the western Provinces, 

 the total wheat area is probably somewhat less than last year. The 

 area under oats is larger than last 3^ear, and that under barley has 

 been somewhat extended. A bulletin of the Canadian Census and 

 Statistics Office, Department of Trade and Commerce, published June 

 14, states : 



Throughout the greater part of Canada the spring this year has been oold, 

 wet, and backward. Continuous rains, especially in Nova Scotia, New Bruns- 

 wick, and Quebec, have greatly interfered with the spring seeding, and at the 

 end of May large areas in these three Provinces, particularly on low-lying 

 Ifinds, wei'e still unseeded. It is impossible therefore to base upon the data at 

 present available complete estimates of the areas sown to this year's principal 

 field crops, and the following are consequently preliminary figures subject to 

 levision at the end of June. The area under fall wheat, deducting the winter- 

 killed in Ontario and Alberta, is placed at 781,000 acres. Spring wheat occu- 

 pies n,145,000 acres, and the total wheat area amounts therefore to 9,926,000 

 acres. Oats show an area of 9.480,000 acres and barley 1,429,000 acres. Rye, 

 peas, and mixed grains have a total acreage of 894,000, the area of hay and 

 clover is 7,904,000 acres, and alfalfa is sown to 112,000 acres. Condition at 

 the end of May, 100 representing the promise of a full crop, is high for all 

 products reported on, excepting fall wheat, the per cent condition of which, 

 viz, 71.46, is lower than in any of the three previous years at the same date. 

 This crop suffered from the exceptionally severe winter in Ontario and from 

 the lack of sufficient snow protection in Alberta, whilst the cold wet spring 

 has been adverse to recovery and good growth. The condition of spring whea«" 

 is 94.21, against 96.69 last year; oats, 91.67, against 94.76; barley. Ul.OS, 

 against 93.49; 'rye. 87.24. against 90.26; peas, 83.85, against 92.15; nuxed 

 grains, 87.72, against 93.84. The condition of hay and clover is 96.10, com- 

 pared with 74.63 at the end of April and 91.45 at the end of May, 1911. 

 Alfalfa, where grown, shows this year an average condition of 90.65. For the 



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