304 



REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



[Dec. 1895. 



Crops in Austria. 



According to the official reports of the Austrian Ministry of 

 Agriculture, as quoted by the Wiener Landwirtschaftliche 

 Zeitung, the cereal crops appear to have been nowhere very 

 much above the average tliis year, while in a few districts they 

 were reported to be considerably below. On the whole, the cereal 

 harvest may be considered as average, or slightly under average. 



The country had suffered considerably until October from 

 drought, which had rendered the soil dry and hard, work of all 

 descriptions being thus seriously hindered until rain set in. Field 

 mice had done much damage in Bohemia, roots having especially 

 suffered from their attacks. 



As regards crops other than cereals, peas and other legumes 

 had done very well. Potatoes were generally good. Sugar- 

 beet had developed only small roots : this and the much dinai- 

 nished area under the crop were the cause of the total yield of 

 beet being very much below the average. Other roots were up 

 to the average ; cabbages had generally done badly. The after- 

 math, owing to the late drought, did not nearly come up to 

 expectation. 



Sowing had in many cases been delayed until the wet weather 

 set in, and in many places had not been begun by the middle of 

 October. But in general the seed sown soon after the rain 

 promised well, especially rape. The chief exception was Bohemia, 

 where the mice had destroyed the seed in many localities. 



Crops in France. 



The official preliminary estimates of the yields of the principal 

 cereals in France in the harvest of 1895 have been published in 

 the Journal Ojfficiel. 



The figures of the acreage and production, converted into 

 English equivalents, are shown in the following table, together 

 with the estimates for the previous year : — 





1895. 



1894. 



1895. 



1894. 



Wheat 

 Barley 

 Oats - 

 Rye - 



Acres. 

 17,151,825 

 2,267,422 

 9,683,785 

 3,802,826 



Acres. 

 17,268,879 

 2,199,075 

 9,587,055 

 3,842,635 



Bushels. 

 323,647,992 



49,416,889 

 262,843,366 



68,719,417 



Bushels. 

 336,790,319 



46,954,622 

 252,666,518 



72,618,975 



Crops in Germany. 



The latest reports on the crops in Prussia, dated October and 

 November, afford a preliminary estimate of the production in 

 1895. 



