June 1895.] 



REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



25^ 



The weather experienced in April was especially favourable 

 to the oat and spring-wheat crops. But the cold period which 

 followed the warm days of the early part of May did consider- 

 able injury to the crops in many parts of France. 



Crops in Germany, 



According to the official report as to the condition of crops in 

 Germany in the middle of April last, autumn -sown grains had 

 come badly through the winter, except in the southern districts. 

 Eye had suffered considerably, a large portion of the crop on 

 heavy soils having rotted under the snow, while night frosts in 

 the early spring had also done much injury. Winter wheat and 

 spelt had been less affected. 



Spring sowings were reported to be much delayed in 

 many districts by the soddened state of the soil, and only in a few 

 localities had any progress been made. Clover and lucerne had 

 come through the winter well, while meadows also presented 

 a favourable appearance. 



Crops in Hungary. 



The reports published by the Hungarian Ministry of Agri- 

 culture relating to the condition of the crops on May 1st indicated 

 that the night frosts and frequent wind storms had injured the 

 young plants in many districts. "Winter wheat presented a 

 favourable appearance on the right of the Danube, but in Sieben- 

 burgen and on both banks of the Theiss the crop had been 

 seriously damaged. Eye had suffered considerably through the 

 winter and the crops will be barely up to the average. Winter 

 barley was reported to promise an average crop on the whole. 



Wheat Crops in India. 



The Department of Revenue and Agriculture of the Govern- 

 ment of India issued, on the 9 th March last, a Second General 

 Memorandum on the Wheat Crop for the season 1894-95. 



In this Memorandum it was stated that prospects had not 

 changed materially since the issue of the first general memorandum 

 at the end of December 1894. The area sown in the Punjab was 

 estimated at a slightly larger figure, and was believed to be 

 very little less than the extensive area cropped last year. In 

 Bengal and the North- Western Provinces the late rains had 

 retarded sowings and the area under wheat was understood to be 

 in these provinces some 2 and 8 per cent., respectively, below 

 that of 1893-94. A contraction of sowings was also reported to 

 have taken place in the Central Provinces and Berar and in the 

 southern districts of Bombay. In the north of Bombay, however, 

 the area had expanded, wheat being largely substituted for 



