380 Agricultural Labour in England, [august, 



The statistics of crops for the Dominion, exclusive of British! Columbia, are given 

 in the following table : — 





Percentage - 

 of Standard 

 Condition. 



Acreage. 

 1908. 1907- 



Wheat 



84 



6,610,000 



6,066,400 



Oats 



90 



7,941,300 



7,405,500 



Barley 



83 



1,741,820 



1,736,800 



Rye 



82 



100,500 



109,100 



Peas 



82 



413,100 



403,500 



Beans 



74 



60,200 



65,400 



Mixed grains 



84 



581,900 



605,200 



Hay and clover ... 



87 



8,211,200 



7,726,300 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Bureau of Statistics of the 

 Department of Agriculture reports that preliminary returns show the acreage of maize 

 planted to be about 100,996,000, which is about 1,000,000 acres more than the area 

 planted last year. The average condition on 1st July was 82*8 as compared with 

 80 2 on the same date last year. The average condition of winter wheat on 1st July 

 was 80 '6 as compared with 86 in the previous month., and of spring wheat 89*4 as 

 compared with 95. The average condition of oats was 857, of barley 86 - 2 and of 

 rye 91 *2 



The subsequent Report issued on 7th August states that preliminary returns 

 indicate a winter wheat crop of 425,940,000 bushels or an average of 14 3 bushels 

 per acre compared with 1 4 "6 bushels last year. The conditions on 1st August of 

 maize was 82*5, of spring wheat 807, of barley 83*1, of rye 88*3, and of oats 76*8. 



South Australia. — The Board of Trade correspondent at Adelaide (Mr. J. Cres- 

 well) reports, under date of 25th June, that there is promise of an abundant harvest 

 in South Australia, and another 21 million crop should be reaped. During May and 

 June copious rains fell in all the agricultural districts, but the pastoral districts were 

 not so highly favoured. It is anticipated, however, that the lambing will be fairly 

 good, though perhaps hardly so good as last year. Hay and chaff still keep dear in 

 price, at about ^5 per ton (of 2,000 lb.). This is mainly due to the shortage of 

 fodder in Victoria and New South Wales, to which places large quantities are still 

 being exported. In addition, feed is not very plentiful, which also helps to keep up 

 the price of fodder. [Board of Trade Journal^ T,oth July, 1908.) 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished 

 by the Board of Trade with the following report, based on 

 over 200 returns from correspondents in 

 Agricultural Labour various districts on the demand for 

 in England agricultural labour in July ;— 



during July. Employment was regular in July, except that hay- 



makers lost some time on account of rain towards the 

 middle of the month. Haymaking and hoeing caused a good demand for extra 

 labour, but the supply, on the whole, was quite sufficient. 



