191 2.] Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. 



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normai quantities of milk ; or that the lambs are weak or difficult to 

 rear. Where lambing has not begun, ewes — owing largely to scarcity 

 of suitable food — are. mostly in poor condition, and a certain amount 

 of apprehension is consequently felt as to the prospects. In Scotland, 

 ewes have generally come through the winter fairly well, although 

 there are some exceptions, and the position there is better than in the 

 south. 



Stock can be said to have wintered only fairly well. Cattle are 

 generally healthy, but often in rather poor condition and backward. 

 Sheep are less satisfactory, and heavy mortality is reported from some 

 districts. The very open winter has, until recently, allowed of stock 

 being out more than usual, and the scanty stores of roots, hay, and 

 straw have thereby been economised. But these supplies, as well as 

 artificial foods, had to be drawn upon when the frosts came, and it 

 is feared that there may be much scarcity should the spring prove 

 late. In some cases the shortness of keep is reported to have led to 

 a certain number of cattle being marketed in an unfinished condition. 



The Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics for January, 1912, issued by 

 the International Institute of Agriculture, gives the final returns of 

 Notes on the production of the cereal crops last year in 



Crop Prospects Norway, Sweden, and Canada. Estimates 

 Abroad. are also given of the acreage sown with 



winter cereals in several countries of the northern hemisphere. 



Norway. — The total production of each of the four cereal crops — 

 wheat, barley, oats, and rye — in 191 1 was less than that of the 

 previous year ; the wheat crop of 34,000 qr. was 14 per cent, less ; barley, 

 322,000 qr., 10 per cent, less; oats, 1,045,000 qr., 15 per cent, less; 

 and rye, 110,000 qr., 11 per cent, less than in 1910. 



Sweden. — The production of wheat in 191 1 was 1,029,000 qr., 9^ 

 per cent, more than in 19 10, but that of barley and oats was 5I and 

 14 per cent, respectively less than in 19 10, the production of barley 

 being 1,763,000 qr., and oats 7,789,000 qr. in 191 1. Rye was returned 

 at 2,879,000 qr., being very slightly greater than in 19 10. 



Canada. — The final harvest returns showed a marked increase in 

 the case of wheat as compared with the preliminary returns, the pro- 

 duction being 26,974,000 qr., or 1,607,000 qr. more than previously 

 estimated. The production in 191 1 was 44 per cent, greater than that 

 of 1910 in the case of wheat, but that of barley, 4,875,000 qr., was 

 10 per cent. less. Oats were 7J per cent, more than in 19 10, being 

 returned at 37,933,000 qr., whilst maize, which was returned at 

 2,190,000 qr., showed very little change from the previous year. 



New Zealand.— The area placed under wheat in 191 1 was 216,000 

 acres, under barley 32,000 acres, and under oats 404,000 acres'. The 

 acreage of oats increased 34 per cent, as compared with 1910, but that 

 of wheat and barley decreased 33 and 4 per cent, respectively. 



Planting of Winter Cereals. — The areas estimated to have been 

 sown to wheat up to December 31st, 191 1, compared with the areas 

 sown during the corresponding period of 19 10, expressed as per- 

 centages, are as follows: — Belgium, 104; Denmark, 100; Spain, 95; 

 France, 112; Great Britain, 106; Luxemburg, 102; Switzerland, 100; 

 Canada, 97; United States, 99; and India, 99. (The figures for India 



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