50 



Notes as to Crop Prospects. 



[APRIL, 



very susceptible to cultiv^ation and rapidly improve^when grown 

 in fertile soils. The violet variety now resembles externally 

 the ordinary European potato, but the yield appears to be from 

 30 per cent, to 100 per cent, greater on moist or wet land. 



An attempt has been made to identify this variety with the 

 Geante bleu potato, but M. Labergerie points out* that, apart 

 from its larger yield and resistance to disease, the Solamnn com- 

 inersoni (violet) commonly produces tubers above ground, its 

 fruit differs in shape, and that it has in numerous instances 

 reverted to the primitive type. Besides the violet^ type, there 

 are now some thirty other varieties produced from the wild plant, 

 but these are, however, not at present fixed. Some of them seem 

 to have a marked predilection for moist soils, others for dry 

 soils, and some are remarkably rich in starch. 



It is considered that the remarkable adaptation of the 

 Solanum cominersoni (violet) to wet soils and its large yields 

 make it suitable for cultivation on marsh lands, &c., hitherto 

 uncultivated. 



India. — According to the second General Memorandum, dated 

 March 7th, on the wheat crop for 1905-6, the total area under 

 wheat in British India is estimated at 



Cr!p*Pro%ects. ^'-675,500 acres, and at 23,074,000 acres 

 for all reported areas in India. In the 

 United Provinces the area is computed to be 15 per cent, short 

 of the normal, while there is an expansion of seme 2 6 per cent, 

 in British India (excluding the United Provinces) and a net 

 contraction in the Native States of 16-4 per cent. The recent 

 rains have greatly improved the prospects in most quarters, 

 and the condition of the crop is reported to be good on the 

 whole. 



AiLstralasla. — The official estimates" of the f Ai Mralasian 

 Colonies are given in Beerbohins Corn Trade List as follcws : — 



^Journal d'Agric. p'aliqtie, 8th March, 1906. 



