Distribution of the Oat Crop 31 



nearly three times as great. In Wales and south-eastern 

 Scotland it is nearly twice as great, in eastern and central 

 Scotland it is more than three times as great, while in 

 northern a,nd western Scotland the oats crop, though 

 absolutely smaller than in the east and centre, is the only 

 important cereal crop. Its limits are only fixed at the 

 higher altitudes in the north by the early autumn frosts, 

 which kill the plant before the grain is mature. 



In Ireland the crop of oats enormously exceeds all the 

 other cereal crops put together. The Irish acreage under 

 potatoes is also Tery large, greatly exceeding the acreage 

 of all the cereals together, except oats. 



The rye crop is quite insignificant compared with the 

 other cereals, though a little is grown in nearly every 

 county except those of the extreme north of Scotland. 



