I02 



Reports on Foreign Crops. 



loth May, 1898. According to this estimate it appears that 

 the condition of winter wheat was very good in thirty-three 

 departments, good in fifty-one, and fairly good in the remain- 

 ing three departments. The area under this cereal was 

 greater than last year in no less than seventy-one depart- 

 ments, whilst in only four was it actually inferior to that of 

 1896-97. Spring v/heat is not grown in thirty-seven depart- 

 ments, but in forty-six departments the state of the crop was 

 reported to be good, or very good. The condition of the rye,, 

 oats, and barley was also favourable throughout the country. 

 The potato crop was not sufficiently forward in thirty-three 

 departments to enable any report to be made, but in ten 

 departments the crop was declared to be very good, good in 

 twenty-eight, and fairly good in five departments. The con- 

 dition of the grass and meadow land appears to have been 

 satisfactory. 



Crops in Germany. 



The official reports of the condition of crops in Germany 

 in the middle of May show that the recent cold and rainy 

 weather had kept vegetation back, and complaints from this 

 cause had been received from many districts, especially from 

 Brunswick and Hanover. Nevertheless, throughout the whole 

 Empire, the prospects showed an improvement upon the 

 April returns, and the condition of all the cereals was in 

 May better than for several years past, especially as regards 

 wheat. All crops which were above ground were described 

 as " good," or nearly so. Generally speaking, their condition 

 was considerably better in the south and west than in the 

 north-east, the best reports of all coming from the Palatinate,, 

 which indicated exceptionally good prospects for all crops. 



The area ploughed in, owing to weather, snails, etc., was 

 unimportant, amounting to but 0*5 per cent, in the case of 

 wheat. Cultivation of potatoes had been much hindered by 

 the weather ; the plant had appeared in very few districts, 

 while in many cases rot was feared. Clover and meadows 

 promised well, though in some low-lying localities the 

 meadows were under water. 



