224 



Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. [june, 



states that the recent rains have favoured the growth of crops, and 

 winter wheat, as well as the spring wheat which was not sown late, 

 now appears to be in excellent condition. The area sown, however, is 

 less than in the previous year, and, according" to the official statistics, 

 only 4,112,000 acres of wheat have been planted, as compared with 

 4,326,000 acres in 1907. The former figure, moreover, is 345,000 acres 

 below the average of the past five years. 



Russia. — According to a despatch received from Mr. H. Cooke, Com- 

 mercial Attache, the official Commercial and Industrial Gazette of April 

 3oth/May 13th, describes the state of the grain sowings of the central 

 zone (22 governments) of European Russia up to the first week of May 

 as equally satisfactory as in the southern region. In the south, the 

 state of the winter crops is everywhere considered fully satisfactory, and 

 in the central zone more evenly so than in the southern. Spring grain 

 sowing began everywhere much later than usual, and in numerous 

 localities had only just begun at the time of the inquiry. It was pro- 

 ceeding, however, under favourable conditions. There were no sub- 

 stantial modifications with respect to the extent of the area sown, 

 though in some localities in the south-east the area had been extended. 



India. — The final official estimate of the yield of wheat in India in 

 1909, exclusive of certain areas in the United Provinces, is 7,580,000 

 tons, as compared with 5,975,800 tons in 1908, and an average of 

 7,845,000 tons in the five years 1902-1906. 



France. — The report of the French Ministry of Agriculture (Journal 

 Officiel, May 29th) on the condition of the crops on May 1st gives 

 the area of wheat sown as 16,155,000 acres, compared with 16,086,000 

 acres in 1908. The area of winter wheat shows, an increase of 296,000 

 acres and that of spring wheat a decrease of 227,000 acres com- 

 pared with the previous year. The condition was generally satisfactory, 

 especially in the North, North-west, West, and South-west. According 

 to a statement in the Journal d' Agriculture Pratique (June 3rd), there 

 was reason to fear during the month of May that the prevailing dryness 

 would compromise the prospects of this crop, but rain fell at the end of 

 the month in most districts. The area under barley and oats was 

 approximately the same as in the preceding year. 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Department of 

 Agriculture states that the condition of winter wheat on June 1st was 

 8o'7 as compared with 83*5 on May 1st, 1909, 86 on June 1st, 1908, 

 77'4 on June 1st, 1907, and 80*5, the mean of the averages of the past 

 ten years. 



Preliminary returns put the acreage of spring wheat sown at 

 18,391,000 acres, an increase of 6'9 per cent, as compared with the 

 acreage sown last year. The average condition of spring wheat on 

 June 1st was 95*2, as compared with 95*0 on June 1st, 1908, 88*7 on the 

 same date of 1907, and a ten-year average of 92*6. 



The total reported area in oats is 32,422,000 acres, which shows an 

 increase of o'2 per cent, as compared with the estimated area sown last 

 year. The average condition was 88*7 against 92*9 on June 1st, 1908. 

 The acreage reported as under barley is about 3*5 per cent, larger than 

 that estimated as sown last year, and the average condition is 90*6 as 

 compared with 89*7 last year. 



