250 



STATISTICS OF WHEAT CULTURE. 



Maslin 



Barley 



Eye 



Buckwheat 



Maize and Millet 



Oats 



Peas and Beans 



Hectolitres. 



12,281,020 



18,184,316 



32,999,950 



5,175,933 



6,951,179 



49,460,057 



3,318,691 



Oats, next to wheat is the largest crop grown in France, for the 

 support of two million horses and three and a half million mules 

 and asses. 



According to the " Annuaire de 1' Economic Politique de la Sta- 

 tistique," there were 13,900,000 hectares (each about 2i acres) 

 under cultivation with the cereals in France. 



The primary article of consumption is wheat. At the rate of 

 three hectolitres (1 qr. | bush.) to each individual, eveiy family 

 would require thirteen to fourteen hectolitres, costing 210 to 280 

 francs (8 15s. to 11 10s.) according as the price varies, be- 

 tween its present value fifteen francs, and its occasional cost 

 twenty francs. In the reign of Louis XVI, Arthur Young re- 

 ferred with horror to the black bread eaten by the French. Since 

 that time half a century has passed, and whilst the agricultural 

 produce in France has tripled in value, the labourers who produce 

 it continue, from custom and necessity, to eat a detestable bread 

 made from rye, barley, or peas and potatoes ; and, to make the 

 matter still worse, it is badly baked, without yeast, and being 

 sometimes kept for weeks, it becomes covered with mould, and 

 altogether presents an appearance enough to turn the stomach 

 of a savage. 



According to Mr. Me Grcgor's estimate some ten or twelve 

 years ago, the land under wheat culture was 13,808,171 acres, 

 producing 191,000,000 bushels ; and. 11,715 acres with spelt, or 

 red wheat, the yield of which was 374,000 bushels. 



The other crops were 



Maslin 

 Rye . 

 Barley 

 Oats . 

 Maize 



Acres. 

 2,251,438 

 6,369,879 

 2,936,453 

 7,416,297 

 1,561,372 



Crops, bushels. 

 32,000,000 

 76,000,000 

 45,000,000 

 134,000,000 

 20,000,000 



Wheat and oats are grown all over Eussia, which is the greatest 

 corn land in the world. 



In Austrian Italy the yield of grain has been reckoned at three 

 million quarters, but this seems rather low. About one-half of 

 this is maize and rye, and a quarter wheat. 



It is reckoned that eight million quarters of grain are raised 

 yearly in Denmark, but this seems doubtful. In 1839, a 

 million quarters of grain, however, were shipped from that 

 kingdom. 



