Belgian Agricultural Returns. 



105 



Belgian Agricultural Returns. 



The Belgian Agricultural Returns, which it is intended to 

 issue annually henceforth, have now been issued for 1900. 

 As these annual returns are only collected from occupiers 

 cultivating at least one hectare (2 j acres), no comparison can 

 be made with the agricultural inquiry of 1895. Particulars 

 are also omitted for a few minor crops, such as hemp, etc. 

 It may be noticed, however, that the area accounted for in 

 1900 is fully 300,000 acres below the area recorded as under 

 the same crops in the more comprehensive inquiry of 1895. 

 The omission of all the farms under 2I- acres naturally affects 

 the statistics of certain crops more than others ; and to this 

 may probably be ascribed the small area (108,000 acres less 

 than in 1895) under potatoes, often largely cultivated on such 

 small holdings as have been omitted. The decrease of 

 some 170,000 acres since 1895 in the cereal crops is, however, 

 probably to a very great extent real. 



The following table shows the area and production of the 

 principal crops in 1900 : — - 



Crop. 



Area. 



Production. 



Yield per 

 acre. 





Acres. 



Bushels. 



Bushels. 



Wheat - * - 



417,326 



I3>783>776 



33 'o 





605,555 



18,524,150 



30-6 





94,917 



4,566,538 



48-1 



Oats ------- 



625,567 



32,136,490 



5i-4 



Flax 



49,929 



Cwts. 



Cwts. 





156,882 



42,904,547 



273 





Tons. 



Tons. 



Mangolds - - 



117,799 



2,706,997 



23 -o 



Potatoes - - - - 



348,398 



2,354,156 



6-8 



Red clover (production as hay) - 



248,571 



501,271 



2'02 



Other clovers - - 



71,245 



99,646 

 52,567 



i"39 



Lucerne - - 



24,722 



2-13 



Sainfoin - - 



25,792 



44,386 



1 72 



Grass for hay (ist cut) 



518,221 



767,023 



1-48 



„ not for hay .... 



499,649 









121,193 







It would seem that since 1895 there has been a decline in 

 the area under wheat, rye, flax, turnips and swedes (as main 

 crop), clover and lucerne, and meadow hay. On the other 

 hand, increases are to be noted under oats, sugar-beet, 

 mangolds, sainfoin, and especially grass not cut for hay. 



