Reports on Foreign Crops. 



523 



In the tracts which were affected by famine (the Deccan 

 and Karnatak) the area under wheat was greatly beloAv the 

 average, jawar and other millets having been sown instead. 



In Gujarat the area was about equal to the average, and in 

 Sind, in consequence of an early and good overflow of the 

 Indus, wheat had been largely sown over a largely extended 

 area. The total area for the Presidency was estimated at 

 1,727,000 acres. 



The rain at sowing time was favourable in Gujarat, but 

 it was excessive in parts of Ahmadnagar and South Deccan, 

 where sowings were retarded. 



On the contracted area in the Deccan more rain was 

 wanted, but elsewhere the crop was generally in fair to good 

 condition. 



In Berar, also, the area sown with wheat was greatly 

 reduced, being smaller even than in the previous year, the 

 earlier food-crops having been sown instead. Nor were pro- 

 spects good, for the crop had not received sufficient moisture, 

 and the yield was estimated at not more than half the 

 average. 



In the Central Provinces, too, the area sown with wheat, 

 though larger than last year, when only half the average 

 area was sown, was still much below the average, other food- 

 grains having- been sown on wheat lands. Prospects were, 

 with a few exceptions, generally good. 



In the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, the area sown 

 to the loth December was estimated as about equal to a full 

 average, being a little over million acres, conditions 

 having been favourable at sowing time and since that 

 period. Prospects were very good, but the winter rains were 

 needed. 



In the Pan jab the conditions of the season were favourable, 

 and the area sown with wheat was 7,175,000 acres, being 

 8 per cent, larger than that of the previous season. 



A telegram in the Times of the nth inst. summarises the 

 later official estimates issued at Calcutta. The harvest in 

 the Panjab and Sind is expected to yield 9 per cent, above 

 the average ; in the North-West Provinces and Bengal, 



