Parliamentary P u blicatio n s. 



119 



unsatisfactory. A deficiency in the turnip crop was only 

 partially redeemed by a good yield of mangolds, while the hay 

 crop both from clover and meadows was unusually short. 

 There was, however, a heavy crop of potatoes and a large 

 yield of hops. 



The returns of the numbers of live stock are described as 

 disappointing, showing a general diminution in numbers as 

 compared with 1900, except in the case of horses, which in- 

 creased by 1 per cent. 



The prices of corn in 1901 are given in detail for each of 

 the markets scheduled under the Corn Returns Act, 1882, 

 and the averages for England and Wales are tabulated for a 

 long series of years. The price of wheat last year remained 

 unusually steady, but barley and oats showed a slight rise. 

 Major Craigie gives a statement showing the price of wheat 

 in England in six quinquennial periods, side by side with 

 the current price in France and Belgium for the same dates. 

 The available data of the price of meat show that beef realised 

 a lower value in 1901 than in 1900. 



The report refers to the tables of imports and exports of 

 agricultural produce, which are given in fuller detail than in 

 previous volumes. The growth and relative magnitude of the 

 imports of dead meat from British possessions and from 

 foreign countries are concisely shown, and a similar compari- 

 son is made as regards the supplies cf wheat and flour. The 

 total quantity of wheat and flour, expressed as wheat, received 

 last year, slightly exceeded 5,000,000 tons, or more than in 

 any year since 1893, and of this, nearly one-fifth came from 

 British possessions. 



The Colonial and Foreign statistics have been extended 

 by the addition of details for Natal and for that part of 

 the Russian Empire known as Northern Caucasia, while in 

 other respects this section of the volume has been made 

 more complete. The result of recent enumerations of live 

 stock in several continental states enables a wider survey to be 

 taken of their present position in regard to animal wealth, and 

 special attention is drawn to the increase of cattle in 

 Russia, excluding Poland, and in Germany. On the other 

 hand the continued decline in the number of sheep, to which 



