528 



Reports ON Foreign Crops. 



observable each year since 1891, was well maintained. The 

 area under crops in 1891 was 346,383 acres, in 1897 it had 

 increased to 1,821,829 acres, and a further addition ot 223,800 

 acres took place in 1898, making a total at the time of this 

 return of 2,045,600 acres under crops, exclusive of the area 

 under artificially sown grasses. This rapid extension of 

 agriculture has been due almost entirely to the greater 

 attention paid to the cultivation of wheat, a little over one 

 million acres out of the total increase of 1,200,000 acres since 

 1891 being due to this cause. 



With regard to the estimated area and yield for the present 

 season 1898-99, the total area is put at 1,467,000 acres, or 

 about 260,000 acres more than last year. Of this, however, 

 some 342,000 acres were cut for hay, so that the net area 

 under wheat for grain was 1,125,300 acres. The production 

 is estimated at 9,072,000 bushels against 10,560,000 bushels 

 last year. The yield per acre was the lowest since 1888, 

 being only 8*i bushels, as compared with 10*6 for 1897 and 

 io'8 for the last six years. 



The decline in production was by no means equall}^ distri- 

 buted throughout the colony. On the western slopes the 

 yield is returned as being only 5*8 bushels over an area of 

 601,800 acres, and the shortage in this district is estimated 

 at over 1,200,000 bushels. The crops throughout the northern 

 tableland and its western slope are lighter than last year, 

 and much below the general average. Towards the Queens- 

 land border the harvest has been a partial failure. Tn the 

 central tableland the harvest was a success and the yield 

 above the average. Taking the colony as a whole, after allowing 

 for the seed requirements of next year, the quantity of wheat 

 available for food may be set down at 7,000,000 to 7,500,000 

 bushels. 



The Belgian Harvest of 1898. 



The following information was published in the Monitetir 

 Bdgc of December 31, 1898. 



The reports furnished by the provincia,l agricultural com- 



