472 



BELGIAN AGRICULTURAL INQUIRY OF 1895. 



The statistical results of the general agricultural census 

 taken in Belgium in 1895 have recently been published. This 

 return is of special interest, as no official estimate of the 

 area under the various crops had appeared since 1880, fifteen 

 years previously, although statements showing the estimated 

 yield per acre of certain crops in Belgium have been annually 

 published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Public Works. 



The total land returned as agricultural [exploite) in 1895 is 

 6,440,560 acres. This shows a decrease of about 240,000 acres 

 since 1880, when the area was returned at 6,681,244 acres. 

 Of the total, however, heathlands and similar areas not 

 regularly utilised account for 418,243 acres, against 572,951 

 in the earlier year ; while wood-lands have increased by 

 nearly 80,000 acres (from 1,208,880 to 1,288,093 acres). 

 The more important modifications in the distribution of the 

 crops and grass in Belgium will be best illustrated by the 

 following table, which groups together as far as possible the 

 various products of the soil : — 









Increase or Decrease. 



Crops 



1895. 



1880. 













Total. 



Per Cent. 





Acres. 



Acres. 



Acres. 





Cereals and pulse - 



2,064,959 



2,390,357 



-325,398 



-13-6 



Potatoes 



456,187 



492,412 



- 36,225 



- 7'4 



Roots - - - - 



132,889 



89,298 



+ 43,591 



+ 48-8 



Industrial crops 



261,180 



238,934 



+ 22,246 



+ 9-3 



Clover, grasses, etc. 



1,575.630 



1,419,954 



+ 155,676 



+ 11 



Other crops 



166,525 



164,713 



+ 1,812 



+ 1-2 



Bare fallow 



76,854 



103,745 



- 26,891 



-25-9 



Total cultivated area 



4,734,224 



4,899,413 



-165,189 



- 3"4 



