Agricultural Inquiry in Hungary. 483 



and hemp — have declined, except flax ; the most serious 

 diminution being recorded in the area under rape, which is 

 now but little more than half what it was during the seventies. 

 The areas under these crops in 1896 were : rape, 133,000 

 acres ; tobacco, 82,000 acres; flax, 45,000 acres; and hemp, 

 159,000 acres. The area under peas, beans, and lentils has 

 also declined. 



In addition to the " cultivated " area, which has been 

 hitherto dealt with, the acreage under " natural hay " is 

 given as 8,745,000 acres, in 1895 and 1896. This shows an 

 increase of 17 per cent, over the average of 1890-4, which 

 average would appear to have been nearly stationary 

 for some years previously. 



Vineyards formed the object of a somewhat minute investi- 

 gation, particulars being required as to the age of these 

 plantations, the proportion planted upon immune soil,, 

 statistics of phylloxera, the kind of wine made from the 

 fruit, etc., etc. Their area amounted in 1896 to 61 1,000 acres. 

 This acreage has steadily declined since 1885, when it 

 amounted to 1,076,000 acres. A special inquiry placed it at 

 1,050,000 acres in 1872 in the entire kingdom (including 

 Croatia-Slavonia). 



The yields of all kinds of crops show an increase,, 

 generally progressive, during the last twenty-five years. Com- 

 parisons of single years are always uncertain, and averages are 

 given as much as possible. Nevertheless the average yields 

 in the decade 1870-79 appear very low, and the average of 

 the quinquennium 1890-94 is for almost all crops nearly double 

 that of the first-named period, although the rise is not so 

 abnormally great in comparison with 1880-89. Dealing chiefly 

 with the averages of 1890-94, the production of wheat was i8*i 

 bushels per acre, having been 15-4 in 1885-89 (the production 

 in Hungary prope^r being placed at only i0'4 during the 

 decade 1870-79) ; while it further rose to 19*4 in 1895, and 

 was i8-6i in 1896. Of other cereals, the yields in the quin- 

 quennium named were rye (winter), i6'8; barley, 20*5 ^ 

 oats, 24 ; and maize, 20*7 bushels per acre. Potatoes gave 

 44 cwts.; clover, lucerne, and sainfoin, 25 cwts.; and natural 

 hay nearly 20 cwts. to the acre. 



H H 2 



