526 



Reports on Foreign Crops. 



yield works out at 15-3 Winchester bushels per acre, or about 

 the same as in i8gi. 



Argentine Wheat Crop of i 898.-99. 



According to reports published in La Agriatltura^ the 

 harvesting of the Argentine wheat crop was delayed early in 

 January by heavy rain storms, and in some districts the 

 grain was damaged. Later in the month reports indicated, 

 however, that the crop had yielded abundantly, and that 

 threshing was in full progress throughout the Republic. 



The quantity of wheat available for export, after meeting 

 the needs of the population and making provision for next 

 season's seed, was estimated at between 1^500,000 and 

 2,000,000 tons. I 



Crops in India. 



The first general memorandum, dated December 24, 

 1898, of the Statistical Bureau of the Government of India 

 on the Indian wheat crop stated that the first forecasts 

 of the wheat crop were, on the whole, fairly favourable. 

 Owing to deficient rainfall a shrinkage in last year's area of 

 half a million acres or 6 per cent, was anticipated for the 

 Panjab, but the acreage sown was still above the average. 

 The area in the North-Western Provinces and Qudh was ex- 

 pected to be 10 per cent, above the average, and the continu- 

 ance of the favourable condition of the crop only depended 

 on the timely arrival of the winter rains. In Sind, where the 

 condition of the crop was good, a considerable falling-off in 

 the acreage was expected owing to low inundation. In 

 Bombay the conditions varied ; in Gujarat the area would 

 probably reach the average ; but in the Deccan and Karnatak 

 it would be considerably below the average, though in excess 

 of the low figure for last year. The condition of the crop 

 varied from fair to good, but rain was needed for the dry crojD 

 in Ahmednagar and South Deccan. A largely increased 

 area had been sown in Berar, but rain was much needed, and 



