250 



STATISTICS OF WHEAT CTJLTrEE. 



Maslin 

 Barley 

 Rye 



Buckwheat 

 Maize and Millet 

 Oats 



Peas and Beans 



Hectolitres. 

 12,281,020 

 18,184,316 

 32,999,950 

 5,175,933 

 6,951,179 

 49,460,057 

 3,318,691 



Oats, next to wheat is the largest crop grown in Prance, for tlie 

 support of two million horses and three and a half million mules 

 and asses. 



According to the " Annuaire de I'Economie Politique de la Sta- 

 tistique," there were 13,900,000 hectares (each about 2|- acres) 

 under cultivation with the cereals in Prance. 



The primary article of consumption is wheat. At the rate of 

 three hectolitres (1 qr. J bush.) to each indiyidual, every family 

 would require thirteen to fourteen hectolitres, costing 210 to 280 

 francs (£8 15s. to £11 10s.) according as the price varies, be- 

 tween its present value fifteen francs, and its occasional cost 

 twenty francs. In the reign of Louis XYI, Arthur Young re- 

 ferred with horror to the black bread eaten by the Prench. Since 

 that time half a century has passed, and whilst the agricultural 

 produce in Prance has tripled in value, the labourers who produce 

 it continue, from custom and necessity, to eat a detestable bread 

 made from rye, barley, or peas and potatoes ; and, to make the 

 matter still worse, it is badly baked, without yeast, and being 

 sometimes kept for weeks, it becomes covered with mould, and 

 altogether presents an appearance enough to turn the stomach 

 of a savage. 



According to Mr. Mc Gregor's estimate some ten or twelve 

 years ago, the land under wheat culture was 13,808,171 acres, 

 producing 191,000,000 bushels ; and 11,715 acres with spelt, or 

 red wheat, the }deld of which was 371,000 bushels. 



The other crops were — 



Acres. Crops, bushels. 



Maslin . . . 2,251,438 32,000,000 



Eye .... 6,369,879 76,000,000 



Barley . . . 2,936,453 45,000,000 



Oats .... 7,416,297 134,000,000 



Maize . . . 1,561,372 20,000,000 



Wheat and oats are grown all over Eussia, which is the greatest 

 corn land in the world. 



In Austrian Italy the peld of grain has been reckoned at three 

 million quarters, but this seems rather low. About one-half of 

 this is maize and rye, and a quarter wheat. 



It is reckoned that eight million quarters of grain are raised 

 yearly in Denmark, but this seems doubtful. In 1839, a 

 million quarters of grain, however, were shipped from that 

 kingdom. 



