424 



Agricultural Returns of 1908. [sept., 



pasture. The decrease of nearly 83,000 acres in the area under 

 cereals brings the figure for these crops below that of 1904, the 

 lowest hitherto recorded. Other crops — excluding clover and 

 rotation grasses — exhibit the largest relative decrease. Clover 

 and rotation grasses have more than lost the increase of 50,000 

 acres recorded last year, and ndw stand at a lower figure than in 

 any year since 1884. The area of the bare fallow, which de- 

 creased considerably in each of the last three years, has this 

 year increased by nearly 54,000 acres, or more than 20 J per 

 cent. The decrease in the arable land amounts, on the whole, 

 to 170,000 acres, or rather more than 1 per cent., of which 

 138,000 acres are accounted for by the further extension of 

 permanent grass. 



Among the cereal crops wheat alone shows an increase, 

 amounting to less than 1,300 acres. Barley has declined by 

 nearly 45,000 acres, and the area under this crop is the 

 lowest on record. Oats show the relatively small decrease 

 of 14,000 acres, and the area under this crop is still 

 well above that recorded in 1905 or 1906. Rye has 

 declined by more than 8,000 acres, or nearly 14 per cent., 

 and its area is less than in any year since 1899. Beans, 

 which showed a considerable increase in 1906, and again in 1907, 

 have now declined by nearly 15,000 acres, but they still cover 

 considerably more ground than in any recent year except 1907. 

 The decrease in peas amounts to over 2,000 acres, or nearly 

 ij per cent. 



The details of the cereal crops are given in the following 

 table : — 



Crop. 



1908. 



1907. 



Increase or Decrease. 



Wheat 



Barley 



Oats... 



Rye 



Beans 



Peas... ... ... 



Acres. 

 1,626,733 

 1,667,437 

 3,108,918 



52,744 

 295,012 



163,751 



Acres. 

 1,625,445 

 1,712,094 

 3,122,898 

 61,211 

 309,730 

 166,136 



Acres. 

 + 1,288 



- 44,657 



- i3,98o 



8,467 



- I4,7i8 



- 2,385 



Per cent. 

 + o- 1 



- 2-6 



0- 4 



- I3'8 



- 4-8 



1- 4 



Among other crops decreases are likewise almost general, 

 the only instances to the contrary being potatoes, lucerne, and 

 small fruit. Potatoes show an increase of over 13,000 acres, 



