1908.] Earnings at Corn Harvest in 1908. 701 



that the area sown with wheat this autumn is less than that of last year by 4 per cent. 

 In the same way it is estimated that the acreage of summer fallowed land this year is 

 3 per cent, less than in 1907. 



United Slates. — The Bureau of Statistics in their report for November state that 

 the preliminary returns for the production of maize in 1908 indicate a total yield of 

 about 2,642,687,000 bushels, or an average of 26'2 bushels per acre, as compared 

 with an average of 25*9 bushels as finally estimated in 1907, 30*2 bushels in 1906 and 

 a ten-years average of 25*6 bushels. The general average as to quality is 86*9 per 

 cent, compared with 82*8 last year, 89*9 in 1906, and 90^6 in 1905. It is estimated 

 that about 27 per cent, or 96,000,000 bushels of the maize crop of 1907 was still in 

 farmers' hands in November, 1908, compared with 4*5 per cent, in the previous year. 



The preliminary estimate of the average yield of potatoes is 85*9 bushels, against 

 an average yield of 95' 14 bushels in 1907 and 102*2 bushels in 1906. The indicated 

 total yield is given as 274,660,000 bushels, against 297,942,000 bushels in 1907. 



The December report gives the newly-seeded area of winter wheat as 

 29,884,000 acres, as compared with 31,069,000 acres in 1907. The condition was 

 85*3, compared with 91 "i last year. 



Argentina. — Mr. H. M. Mallet, H.M. Consul at Rosario, writing on October 29th, 

 states that the locust plague commenced very early in the season, the invasion in some 

 parts largely exceeding those of recent years, and at the moment the maize crop is 

 seriously menaced. The wheat and linseed crops are too far advanced to suffer 

 damage to any extent from these pests. Mr. Townley, writing from Buenos Ayres on 

 the same date, gives the official crop figures quoted in last month's Journal, and adds 

 that the increase in land under cultivation this year, as compared with 1907, is about 

 5 per cent, for wheat, 10 per cent, for linseed and 122 per cent, for oats. Vast 

 additional areas in the Pampa are being prepared for wheat cultivation next year. 

 The official figures of immigration give hopes that there will be no shortage of hands 

 for the coming harvest. 



The World's Maize Crop. — An estimate of the World's maize crop in 1908, given 

 in Beerbohni's Corn Trade List (13th November, 1908), amounts to 408,800,000 qrs., 

 as against 389,050,000 qrs. in 1907, 444,550,000 qrs. in 1906 and 400,000,000 qrs. 

 in 1905. 



Hop Crop of Germany. — The German Imperial Statistical Bureau has issued an 

 estimate of the hop crop in Germany in 1908, which puts the total yield at 

 488,000 cwts., or an average yield of 5 '8 cwts. per acre. The yield is calculated on 

 83,395 acres, which is 5,229 acres less than the total area, as the yield is not 

 separately estimated in parishes having less than \2.\ acres under hops. Assuming 

 the same average yield from this additional area, the total yield in Germany is 

 estimated to amount to 518,400 cwts., as against 475,400 cwts. in 1907, 414,000 cwts. 

 in 1906, and 575,800 cwts. in 1905. 



The World's Hop Crop. — The hop reporter of the Bohemian Landeskulturrat 

 in the middle of October estimated the world's hop crop at 1,750,000 cwts., which is 

 almost exactly the same figure as the estimate for the previous year. The quality is 

 in general regarded as good.- The stocks from the previous crop in Bohemia are 

 stated to be completely exhausted, and to be very small in other countries, with the 

 exception of America. The stocks in breweries are also quite unimportant, and it is 

 expected that there will be a good demand, the total requirements being estimated as 

 likely to be larger than this year's crop. {Reichsanzeiger, 13th October, 1908.) 



According to the Returns furnished to the Board of Trade (Labo7ir Gazette, 

 November, 1908) the earnings of farm labourers from the corn harvest in 1908 showed 

 little variation from a year ago in the eastern counties ; 

 Earnings at Corn in the midland and southern and south-western counties, 

 Harvest in 1908. however, the earnings in 1908 were somewhat less than 

 in 1907. The harvest, which was considerably pro- 

 longed by rain, was generally of greater total duration than that of 1907, but the 



