The Cereals. 



91 



which is the mean wheat produce in France ; in England, how- 

 ever, the average is something like 29 bushels. 



The above estimate of 13 bushels per acre (as the average 

 yield of wheat in India) is, we believe, too high. A tabular state- 

 ment given in the " Report for 1882-83 on the Progress and 

 Condition of India" (page 193) justifies the adoption of a lower 

 average, as will be seen from the figures that follow : 



Estimated Yield of Wheat, in Bushels, per Acre. 



Land manured Land fairly Land badly 

 and irrigated, cultivated, cultivated. 



North-West Provinces and Oudh .. . 22 



Punjab ... ... ... ... 20 



Central Provinces ... ... ... 16 



Bombay ... ... ... ... 18 



Berar ... ... ... ... 12 



15 

 II 

 10 

 10 



But the returns on which the above numbers are founded 

 are confessedly imperfect ; while in several provinces, and, of 

 course, in most Native States where wheat is grown, the statistics 

 of average yield of dressed corn are incomplete, untrustworthy, 

 or even altogether wanting. 



As to the Indian areas under wheat, rough estimates, which 

 are probably not very far from the truth, have been published 

 from time to time. The figures given below are probably within 

 the mark, especially those for the Native States. The chief 

 wheat-growing localities are alone included in the table ; in 

 Madras, Assam, and Burma, wheat is not grown to an appre- 

 ciable extent. 



Estimated Area under Wheat. 



British India : Acres. 



Bengal ... ... ... ... 8so,ooo\ 



North-West Provinces and Oudh 6,200,000 1 



Punjab 7,000,000' 



Central Provinces ... ... 4,000,000 



Bombay ... ... ... ... 1,600,000 



Berar 700,000 



20,350,000 



Native States : 

 Hyderabad 

 Central India Agency 

 Rajputana ... 

 Baroda 



750,000 > 

 2,500,000 

 2,500,000 

 88,000 / 



Grand total 



5,838,000 



26,188,000 



