THE CROPS. 61 



Upwards of a million of hectares are sown in barley 

 every year ; this is about as much as is grown in 

 France, where this cereal does not hold the same relative 

 importance ; but, as in the case of oats, the average pro- 

 duction is about twice as great as with us. In France 

 the yield is fifteen hectolitres while in England it is 

 thirty, or a little more than four quarters per acre. 

 More than one-half of this crop is used in the manufac- 

 ture of beer (and spirits). The duty collected on malt 

 proves that fourteen to fifteen millions of hectolitres of 

 barley are thus annually employed ; the other moiety 

 affords an additional resource for the feeding and fatten- 

 ing of live stock, especially pigs.* Human consumption 

 takes off a small quantity, as it does of oats ; but the use 

 of these coarser articles of food is falling off every day. 



Besides barley and oats, the English formerly used a 

 good deal of rye as food. Eye, in fact, is, along with the 

 spring cereals, the grain best suited for the short sum- 

 mers of the north. All the north of Europe cultivates and 

 consumes rye only. In England, however, it has almost 

 entirely disappeared, being now scarcely ever grown ex- 

 cepting for green fodder in spring ; and its price, which 

 is generally very low, is quoted in the market only about 

 seed-time.t The quantity imported is insignificant. 

 Most of the soils which formerly grew only rye, now 

 grow wheat ; and those which were absolutely unfit for it 

 have been turned to other uses. The English rightly 



* This, we fear, is not altogether correct. About five million quarters barley, 

 oil an average, are consumed as malt, besides upwards of one million quarters 

 distilled as raw grain. A large quantity goes otherwise for human food, and 

 little comparatively for feeding purposes. J. D. 



f Rye is, no doubt, very sparingly cultivated in England, and is much out of 

 favour where the soil is suitable for any other cereal. Still it is scarcely so rare 

 as the above remarks would lead one to infer, as it is generally to be found in 

 our markets, and in some quantity is used for distillation the price being by 

 weight equal to that of barley. T. 



