1910.] Progress of Agriculture in Belgium. 853 



a larger number of live stock are kept. The following table 

 shows the average yields during the last thirty years : — 









Cwt. per acre. 









1870-80. 



1886-95. 



1 900-04. 



1905. 



1906. 



1907. 



Wheat... 



I2'I 



H7 



18 -4 



i6- 5 



187 



21-6 



Rye ... 



II -3 



i3'5 



17*0 



16 ' 1 



16-4 



1 8 '2 



Oats ... 



128 



14-2 



187 



16-4 



20 -o 



21-3 



Mangolds 



.. 2567 



324-2 



423-6 



48i-3 



442-5 



4188 



Potatoes 



97-2 



887 



I34't 



84-6 



1323 



132-0 



Allowing for the fact that some improvement may have 

 been effected in the collection of the returns since the earlier 

 years given, this table seems to indicate that the average pro- 

 duction is materially greater now than it was some thirty 

 years ago. 



In the same way cattle and pigs have increased in numbers. 



1880. 1895. 1907. 



Horses (agricultural) ... — 216,199 249,831 



Cattle 1,382,815 1,420,978 1,812,689 



Pigs 646,375 1,163,133 1,279,462 



The rapid growth of co-operation, also, even within the last 

 twelve years, is shown by comparing the purchases made 

 through the co-operative associations and the sales of co- 



operative dairies in 1895 with those in 1907. 



1895. 1907. 



£ £ 



Purchases of seeds, machines, and manures 205,110 944,066 



Sales by co-operative dairies ... ... 129,478 1,420,406 



A still more interesting point is the very large amount 

 of artificial manures stated to be used per acre. The figures, 

 it may be noted, are obtained by averaging the returns made 

 by each holder, w 7 ho is asked to state the quantities of manures 

 which he has used during the year. 









Lb. per acre. 









1895. 



1904. 



1905. 



1906. 



I907. 



Basic slag ... 



19-6 



45 '5 



47*3 



49-1 



51-8 



Superphosphate of lime ... 



25-0 



56-2 



62-5 



607 



59-8 



Kainit 



1:8 



1 1 -6 



I4-3 



15 -2 



15-2 



Nitrate of soda 



25 0 



40*2 



41-9 



40*2 



40*2 



In this connection 



it may 



be 



mentioned that 



Consul- 



General Sir Cecil Hartslet, in reporting on the agriculture 

 of Belgium In 1908-9 (F.O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 

 4351), states that iron harrows are being introduced largely 

 on a number of farms in the Walloon districts. In the 

 Ardennes and Mons neighbourhood hay-cutting, reaping, 

 and binding machines are rapidly increasing in use. 



A great deal of this agricultural machinery is imported 



