1909.] Agricultural Labour in England. 



Hop Crop of the World.— The third report of Messrs. John Barth 

 and Son, of Nuremberg-, dated September 21st, gives a preliminary 

 estimate of the hop crop in 1909 as 962,000 ' cwt, compared with 

 1,990,0.00 cwt. in 1908 and 1,882,000 cwt. in 1907. This appears to be 

 the smallest crop since 1882, when it was 866,000 cwt. Bavarian and 

 Bohemian hops are stated to be of superior quality. The estimate for 



the various countries is as follows :— 



1508. 1909. 



Thousands Thousands 



of cwt. of cwt. 



Germany 526 157 



Austria- Hungary 353 168 



France 78 37 



Belgium and Holland ... 76 35 



Russia 74 69 



England 466 196 



United States 403 290 



Australia 14 10 



1,990 962 



United States. — The report on the condition of the crops on October 

 1st issued by the United States Department of Agriculture gives 

 the condition of maize as 73.8, compared with 74.6 on September 1st 

 'last. The preliminary estimate of the yield of spring wheat is 

 291,848,000 bus. or 15.9 bus. per acre, compared with 13.2 bus. per acre 

 last year. The yield of winter wheat is put at 432,920,000 bus., so that 

 the total wheat crop in 1909 is expected to be 724,768,000 bus., compared 

 with 664,602,000 bus. in 1908. The preliminary estimate of the 

 yield of oats is 983,618,000 bus., and of barley 164,636,000 bus., against 

 807,156,000 bus. and 166,756,000 bus. last year. The harvest of wheat 

 and oats is thus expected to be considerably above that of 1908, which 

 year was also more favourable than 1907. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished by the 

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

 from correspondents in various districts, on 

 Agricultural Labour the demand for agricultural labour in Sep- 



in England tember. 

 during September. There was a good deal of loss of time 



among day labourers and men at piecework 

 in September owing to wet weather, which considerably interfered with 

 harvest work in most parts of the country, many farmers in district? 

 usually early having corn still in the fields at the end of the month. 

 When fine, the harvest, hoeing, potato lifting, &c, caused a good 

 demand for day labourers, but the supply was generally ample. 



Northern Counties.- — Employment was generally regular in Northum- 

 berland, Cumberland, and Westmorland, but rain interrupted the corn 

 harvest at the end of the month, and extra labourers lost time in con- 

 sequence; there was a sufficient supply of these men. The supply of 

 and demand for labour were generally about equal in Lancashire. In 

 Yorkshire the corn harvest and potato lifting caused a fairly good 

 demand for extra labour, but there was generally a plentiful supply ; 

 in mo^t districts some time was l®st by harvest labourers on piecework 

 on account of rain. 



