Cereals in Portugal. 



days in store, and thoroughly frozen, the average tempera- 

 ture of twenty-one shipments from the breakwater being 7.7° 

 Fahr. (highest 12^, lowest 5^). 



The ocean shipping arrangements are characterised as less 

 convenient : the main drawback is considered to be the irre- 

 gularity of despatch, or, rather, of arrival in London. Cheese 

 is placed at a further disadvantage, inasmuch as it requires 

 to be carried in a separate chamber, kept at a particular 

 temperature. It happens sometimes that the quantity avail- 

 able is insufficient to fill a chamber, in which case the carriers 

 lose by dead space. Butter, on the other hand, is stowed 

 along with frozen meat, and can consequently be taken at 

 any time in any quantity : in short, cheese gives the shipping 

 companies more trouble than butter, and does not pay them 

 so well. 



Production of Cereals in Portugal. 



In a Decree issued by the Portuguese Minister of Public 

 Works, providing for the sanitary inspection of flour and 

 bread, some particulars are furnished of the production of 

 cereals in Portugal. It appears that about 25 percent, of the 

 cultivated area of the country is sown annually with w^heat, 

 rye, and maize ; but owing to the limited use of fertilisers 

 the yield of these grains is comparatively small, amounting 

 on the average to 9 bushels per acre for wheat, 7 bushels for 

 rye, and 23 bushels for maize. The area sown annually with 

 each of these cereals and the total production are given as 

 folio w\s : — 



Acres. Bushels. 

 Wheat - - ■ 771,000 6,875,000 



Rye - - - 823,000 5,500,000 



Maize - - - 679,000 15,125,000 



The total production of the three grains is estimated, 

 therefore, at 27,500,000 bushels, and as the quantity is insuffi- 

 cient to meet the requirements of the population, there is 

 necessarily a large importation, particularly of wheat. In the 

 five years 1893-1897 there was an annual average importa- 

 tion into Portugal of 4,854,000 bushels of the last named 

 cereal, — Jornal de Commercio. 



