1909.] The British Crops of 1909. 733 



constitutes a record for this crop. In England the season's 

 yield is also a record, being 4J bushels above that for 1908, 

 and si bushels in excess of the decennial yield. In Wales 

 and Scotland this season's result, although well above 

 average, has been surpassed in some other years. 



The oat crop has proved better than anticipated earlier in 

 the season, and the total production is only 56,000 quarters 

 lower than last year, in spite of a reduction of 127,000 

 acres in the area cropped. For the country as a whole the 

 production per acre is i\ bushels better than in 1908, and 

 if bushels above the decennial average. This result is due 

 largely to the satisfactory returns in Scotland, where the total 

 production is the most abundant obtained since 1894, and the 

 yield the highest hitherto recorded, being ij bushels higher 

 than the good yield of last season, and 3J bushels above the 

 average of 1 899-1 908. In England the result is about three- 

 quarter bushel, and in Wales one bushel, above the average. 



This has not been a good season for beans and peas, but 

 the total production of each slightly exceeds that of last 

 season owing to extensions in the areas under the crops. In 

 England the yield of beans is ij bushels, and of peas, 2J 

 bushels per acre less than last year. 



The estimated total production and yield per acre of the 

 potato and root crops are as follows : — 



Crop. 



Estimated Total Produce. 



Estimated yield per acre. 



Average of 

 the ten years 

 1899-1908. 



1909. 



1908. 



1909. 



1908. 



Potatoes ... 

 Turnips & swedes 

 Mangold... 



tons. 



3,675,994 

 25,132,497 

 9,565,523 



tons. 

 3,917,618 

 23,768,235 

 8,995,267 



tons. 



6-39 



16-16 

 20-95 



tons. 

 6'97 

 1 5 '33 

 21-03 



tons. 

 5-85 

 13-49 

 19-62 



The total production of potatoes shows a deficiency of 

 242,000 tons from the record crop of last season. In England 

 the total crop is the largest recorded except in 1908, but the 

 less satisfactory results are in Scotland. The total for Great 

 Britain comes out below that of 1905 also. The yield per 

 acre shows a fall of less than half-a-ton as compared with 1908 

 in England ; in Scotland the deficiency exceeds one ton, but in 

 Wales last season's result is repeated. Compared with the 



