Reports on Foreign Crops. 



529 



missions indicate that the Belgian harvest of 1898 was good 

 as regards the quality and quantity of the crops. 



The following table shows the produce per acre of the 

 principal cereals during the last eight years : — 



Year, 



Bushels per Acre. 



Wheat. 



Rye. 



Barley. 



Oats. 



1898 





30-6 



28-9 



39 -o 



52-3 



1897 





26-0 



28-2 



35-3 



467 



1896 





29-9 



30-8 



41-9 



41-3 



1895 





28-0 



29 "4 



41-4 



47 "4 



1894 





27-5 



29-5 



39-2 



447 



1893 





26-6 



27-1 



37 "o 



327 



1892 





297 



31-4 



42-0 



42-3 



1891 





23-4 



22-3 



33*4 



46-8 



The latest available acreage statistics of Belgium relate 

 to the year 1895, when the wheat area amounted to 445,531 

 acres. If this figure be also taken to represent the extent 

 of the crop in 1898, the total yield of wheat was 13,633,000 

 bushels of 6 1 '6 lbs., compared with 11,584,000 in the previous 

 year, i.e.^ showing an increased yield of 2,049,000 bushels. 



The potato crop was of good quality throughout the 

 country, and the average yield was estimated at I39cwts. per 

 acre, compared with iiQcwts. in 1897; iiScwts. in 1896; 

 I37cwts. in 1895; 109 cwts. in 1894; 164 cwts. in 1893; and 

 185 cwts. in 1892. 



The hay crop gave an average yield of 2 tons o\ cwt. per 

 acre ; the first cut was abundant and of good quality, but 

 the second cut was of medium quality and yield. 



Mangolds and carrots gave unsatisfactory results ; the 

 former yielded 14 tons 19 cwts. per acre, the latter 8 tons 

 4^- cwts. as a main crop, and 4 tons 6 cwts. as a catchcrop. The 

 yield of turnips was bad, and much inferior to that of former 

 years ; the main crop gave 9 tons i cwt. per acre, and the 

 second crop 6 tons 12 cwts. Sugar beet was very rich in 

 juice, but very poor in quantity, viz., 10 tons 3 cwts. per acre, 

 compared with 11 tons 9 cwts. in 189/, and 12 tons 18 cwts. in 

 1896. 



The flax crop, except in West Flanders, was a fair average 

 one as regards quantity and quality. K K 



