540 



The British Crops of 1906. [dec, 



ten years' average, the yield shows an excess of nearly 

 2^ bushels per acre, a result in which all three divisions of 

 the country shared, and in this latter respect wheat may be 

 considered as the best of the cereal crops this year. 



The production of barley exceeds that of 1905 by nearly 

 2i million bushels, in spite of a falling off of nearly half a 

 million bushels in Scotland. There the yield per acre falls 

 short of the average by bushels per acre, but in both 

 England and Wales the crop is very nearly 2 bushels per 

 acre above the average. 



Nearly 7,000,000 bushels more oats have been harvested 

 than in 1905, and the yield per acre is over bushels higher 

 than the ten years' average. Here,'again, a distinction must 

 be drawn, for while in England the yield is 2^ bushels, and 

 in Wales as much as 4I bushels, above the average, Scotland 

 shows a deficiency of a bushel per acre from the standard, and 

 a decline of a million and a quarter bushels as compared with 

 last year's total crop. 



Beans and peas present several features in common. In 

 both cases practically the whole of the crop is grown in 

 England (96 per cent, of the beans and 99 per cent, of the 

 peas), so that the results indicated in the foregoing table are 

 practically identical with those obtained in England alone. 

 Both crops show yields much in excess of the average 

 beans to the extent of more than 6 bushels, and peas more 

 than 3^ bushels per acre. In each case the highest recorded 

 yield per acre, that of 1890, is now surpassed, beans exceeding 

 that year's average by 2 bushels, and peas by bushels per 

 acre. The total produce of beans is considerably above even 

 last year's unusually high figure, while peas, on a considerably 

 reduced acreage, show an increase in the total production as 

 compared with 1905. 



The yield of potatoes is a full quarter of a ton above the 

 average, but the total produce shows some reduction as com- 

 pared with 1905, owing to the decrease in the area planted 

 this year ; it must be remembered, too, that last year's total 

 crop was the largest recorded. Wales alone shows a deficiency 

 in the yield per acre, and that only to the extent of one-third 

 of a ton. 



