508 Agricultural Labour in England, [sept., 



production of 78,107 cwt. It is believed that there are no complete 

 figures as regards the area for a later year. 



Mr. Consul-General Smith's Report on the District of Odessa (F.O. 

 Reports, Annual Series, No. 4,295) states that the crop of hops in 

 1908 was very short, amounting for the whole of European Russia 

 to 4,350 tons, as compared with 5,670 tons in 1907, 4,850 tons in 

 1906, and 6,450 tons in 1905. Mr. Smith states that more than one- 

 half of the supply comes from Volhynia, and that the industry is 

 extending. 



Argentina.— H.M. Consul at Rosario (Mr. H. M. Mallet), in a 

 despatch dated August 4th, states that rain has now fallen, abundantly 

 in some parts, and the outlook for both agricultural and live-stock 

 interests has accordingly improved. It was too early to estimate what 

 the harvest will yield, but although less land has been under cultivation 

 this year, there was, given favourable weather, every prospect at the 

 date of the despatch of an average wheat crop. As regards live stock, 

 losses are likely to be severe in some districts until the spring grasses 

 grow. 



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

 Department of Agriculture states that the average condition of maize on 

 September 1st was 74*6, against 84*4 on August 1st, 1909, 79*4 on Septem- 

 ber 1st, 1908, and 8o'6 the average of the previous ten years. The average 

 condition of spring wheat at harvest was 88'6, as compared with 

 77*6 on September 1st, 1908, and 78*3 the five-year average. The 

 average condition of oats at harvest was 83*8, against 697 on Sep- 

 tember 1st, 1908, and 79'8 the mean of the averages for the previous 

 ten years. The average condition of barley when harvested was 80*5, 

 against 8i'2 on the same date last year, while potatoes averaged 80*9, 

 against 73*7 in 1908 and a ten-year average of 80*4. — (Dornbusch, 

 September Sth, 1909.) 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished by the 

 Board of Trade with the following report, based on about 210 returns 

 from correspondents in various districts, on the 

 Agricultural Labour demand for agricultural labour in August, 

 in England Work on the land was considerably 



during August. hindered by wet weather during the latter part 

 of August, and many day labourers lost time 

 in consequence. The corn harvest required more hand labour than 

 usual on account of crops being laid by rain, and generally, when fine, 

 the supply of day labourers was equalled by the demand; in certain 

 districts, however, it was reported that the demand for extra labourers 

 was lessened by the lateness of the corn harvest, other work having 

 been finished before this was begun. 



Northern Counties. — Employment was fairly regular in Northumber- 

 land and Cumberland, haymaking, thistle cutting, hoeing, &c, causing 

 a fair demand for extra labourers. Men of this class, however, lost 

 time through wet weather towards the end of the month. The weather 

 also interrupted employment in W estmorland and Lancashire, where 

 otherwise the supply of and demand for labour were generally well 

 balanced. Wet weather and the lateness of corn harvest somewhat 



