i6o 



Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. 



{may, 



plentiful, came very late and was immediately followed by cold and 

 wind. The winter, however, was moderate, and in many parts there 

 was good rain and moist snow in the early spring. At the date of the 

 report the general condition of the winter crops in South Russia was 

 reported to be satisfactory, except in parts of the Provinces of Poltava, 

 Ekaterinoslav, and Volhynia. In parts the crops were very satisfactory. 

 With regard to spring crops the report states that the spring was very 

 early, and field work began a fortnight earlier than usual, and pro- 

 gresses well. The area under spring-sown grain will be greater than 

 usual, because parts of the ground destined for winter wheat could not 

 be sown on account of the drought. 



Fruit Crops in Holland. — Mr. Henry Turing, British Consul at 

 Rotterdam, reported on May 2nd that the prospects for the coming 

 fruit crop were very encouraging, the comparatively warm weather 

 prevalent through the early months of the year having greatly helped 

 to bring on the young buds, while the present state of strawberries 

 holds out good promise. 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Bureau of Statis- 

 tics of the Department of Agriculture states that the area under winter 

 wheat in cultivation on May 1st was about 29,044,000 acres, showing 

 that 13*3 per cent of the area sown last autumn had been abandoned 

 or given to other crops. The average condition on May 1st is given 

 as 82*1, against 83*5 on May 1st, 1909, and 86*7, the mean of the 

 averages of the past ten years. 



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 the de- 

 Agricultural Labour mand for agricultural labour in April. 



in England Agricultural employment was generally 



during April. regular, though a few day labourers lost time 



occasionally through rain. There was a 

 moderate demand for day labourers in the Northern and Midland 

 Counties, with a supply tending to be somewhat in excess of require- 

 ments ; in the other groups of counties the supply of and demand for 

 labourers were generally about equal. There was usually a sufficient 

 supply of men for permanent situations, but some scarcity was reported 

 from certain districts. 



Northern Counties. — Employment was generally regular in these 

 counties, except in the case of a few day labourers, who lost a little 

 time through rain. Potato planting, cleaning meadows, hedging, &c, 

 caused a moderate demand for these men, but the supply was invariably 

 sufficient, and a surplus was reported in several districts in Cumberland 

 and the West Riding of Yorkshire. 



Midland Counties. — There was occasional interruption from showery 

 weather to the employment of day labourers in some districts, but 

 employment on the whole was regular. The demand for men of this 

 class was not generally so good as a month ago, and correspondents in 

 several counties mentioned a surplus in the supply. A demand for men 

 for permanent situations was reported in certain districts, but the supply 

 of this class of men was generally sufficient for requirements. 



Eastern Counties. — Some slight loss of time through rain was 

 reported among day labourers in Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk ; 



