1921.] 



Agricultural Returns. 1921. 



853 



AGRICULTURAL RETURNS, 1921. 



PRODUCE OF CROPS IX ENGLAND AND WALKS. 



The following Memorandum on the Agricultural Returns of England and 

 Wales for 1921 was issued b}- the Ministry on 2nd November: — 



Winter corn was drilled into a good seed bed and spring sowing was also 

 (. ariied out under good conditions, though some heavy soils became baked and 

 the seed beds consequently rough. The autumn-sown crops stood the long- 

 drought very well, and those sown early in the spring remained satisfactory, 

 but late sowings, especially on rough land, suffered very considerably. Spring- 

 corn generally was short in the straw. Beans were damaged by fly, and peas 

 did not fill very well owing to the drought. Crops were harvested under very 

 favourable conditions generally, only a little corn in the north and west being- 

 damaged by wet. The grain is of good quality, except in the case of late 

 sown spring crops, which gave small, thin grain. 



The total production of wheat in England and Wales is estimated at 

 8,723.000 quarters, which is rather more than 2,000,000 quarters greater than 

 in 1020, and larger than in any year since 1898, with the exception of 1918, 

 when the area of this crop was greatly increased as a result of the Food 

 Production Campaign. The yield per acre over the whole country is estimated 

 at 353 bushels, or nearly 5 bushels above the average of the previous 10 

 years, and the highest recorded since official returns of production were first 

 collected in 1885. The total production of barley is 5,309,000 quarters, or 

 1,000,000 quarters less than in 1920 and 350.000 quarters less than the average 

 of the 10 years 1911-20. The yield per acre is estimated at 29*6 bushels, 

 which is about 1£ bushels per acre below the 10-year average. Oats were 

 also a light crop, the yield per acre being estimated at 37*3 bushels, which is 

 over 1 bushel per acre below average, and haif-a-bushel less than last year. 

 The total production, which amounted to 10.022,000 quarters, is about 700,000 

 quarters less than in 1920. In some districts there were many very poor 

 fields of oats, and also of barley, but there were, however, a large number of 

 crops which did well and thrashed out better than was expected. The yield 

 of mixed corn is estimated at 33*8 bushels per acre, and the total production 

 at 570,000 quarters, or 30,000 quarters less than in 1920, when the acreage 

 was larger. The total production of beans is, apart from 1917. the smallest 

 since 1904, and, at 778,000 quarters, is 180.000 quarters less than last year. 

 The yield per acre is estimated at 26'2 bushels, which is 1 bushel below 

 average and about 5 bushels less than in 1920. The yield of peas was also 

 poor, being onlj T 23*7 bushels per acre, or about 1^ bushels below the 10-year 

 average, and the total production. 313,000 quarters, is 130,000 quarters less 

 than last year. 



Hay suffered considerably from the very dry spring, and the total crop is 

 one of the lightest recorded. The crop, however, was well secured, and is of 

 good quality. Seeds' hay yielded 24*4 cwt. per acre, which is 4 cwt. per acre 

 below average, and lower yields per acre have only been recorded six times 

 in the last 35 years. The total production was 2,142.000 tons, or 440,000 tons 

 less than last year. The yield of meadow hay was about 15"8 cwt. per acre, 

 or 6 cwt. per acre below average. Crops were bad in all parts of the country. 



