428 



REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



[March 1896. 



The crop of potatoes is estimated at 100 6 bushels per acre in 

 1895 compared with 6 2 '3 bushels in 1894. The total value of 

 the OLitturn is, however, considered to be much less than that of 

 1894, owing to the fall in price, which decreased from 2s. 2|(i. 

 in 1894 to Is. l^d. per bushel in 1895. 



Indian Wheat Crop of 1895-96. 



The first general memorandum on the Indian wheat crop of the 

 season 1895-96 was issued from the Statistical Bureau of the 

 Government of India on the 31st December 1895. 



The memorandum stated that the area sown in the Punjab 

 was estimated at a little over 6^ million acres, or 17*7 per cent, 

 less than the area finally returned last year, which was more 

 than 3 per cent, below the very extensive area sown in the year 

 preceding. 



In the North- Western Provinces, the autumn rains ceased early, 

 leaving the soil very dry at the time of sowing, and germination 

 suffered in most districts from want of sufficient moisture. 

 Where irrigated, the crop was flourishing, but where irrigation 

 is not available, the crop suffered, and the want of rain was 

 keenly felt. The total area in these Provinces is 25 per cent, 

 less than last year. 



In the Central Provinces, very little ra^in fell after the end of 

 August. Seed was difficult to obtain owing to past bad seasons, 

 and some of the land was too hard to plough : a considerable 

 decline in the area under wheat being the result. Germination of 

 the seed sown in the lighter soils had been very poor, and in 

 the richer lands defective : much wheat withered during the 

 abnormal heat of November, and the outlook generally was 

 unsatisfactory. 



In Berar, insufficient rain at sowing time and the early cessa- 

 tion of the monsoon had caused a decrease in the area sown, 

 which was 14 per cent, below the figures of last year. The crop 

 was not in a good condition at the date of the memorandum. 



For the Bombay Presidency the information was incomplete ; 

 such as had been received showed the area under wheat in 

 Gujarat, the Deccan, and the Karnatak to be 27, 30, and 21 per 

 cent, respectively, and in Sind 34 per cent, below the average. 



AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN HARVEST. 



The preliminary official estimates of the harvest of 1895 in 

 Austria-Hungary have been published by the respective Depart- 

 ments of Agriculture of the two countries. 



