430 



llEPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



[March 189G.. 



The first crop of hay gave a return of nearly two tons per 

 acre. The second crop, however, was not nearly so good. 



All roots except turnips were good. Beetroot for fodder was 

 an average crop, but the out-turn of sugar-beet was much below 

 that of the previous year, though the roots were richer in sac- 

 charine matter. There was an abundant crop of carrots. Flax was 

 good in qualit}^, but the yield per acre was below the average. 



Crop Prospects in France. 



A report on the state of the growing crops of wheat and rye 

 in France, at the end of January, 1896, was published in the 

 Journal Officiel early in February last. 



For purposes of comparison, the figure 100 is taken to repre- 

 sent the area under the same crop in the preceding year ; and as 

 regards the state of the young crops, 100 implies " very good " ; 

 80, " good " ; 00, " rather good " ; 50, " passable " ; 30, " middling " ; 

 20, " bad." 



The following table gives the figures as regards wheat only., 

 and the mean for groups of departments : — 



Divisions. 



Area under 

 Wheat iu 1896 

 compared with 

 that in 1895. 



Condition of 



Crop 

 at the End of 

 January, 1896. 



North-west region 

 North region 

 North-east region 

 "West region 

 Central region 

 Eastern region 

 South-west region 

 Southern region 

 South-east region 

 Corsica 



99 



100 

 99 

 99 



101 

 99 



100 

 98 

 99 



100 



94 

 94 

 87 

 91 

 89 

 87 

 88 

 91 

 89 

 80 



An analysis of the figures for each department shows that 

 there has been an increase of wheat acreage, compared with 

 the year 1894-5, in the following departments : — an increase 

 of 10 per cent, in Gard ; of 5 per cent, in C6tes-du-Nord, 

 Eure, Marne, Puy-de-D6me, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhone : 

 of 4 per cent, in Pas de Calais ; of 2 per cent, in Indre, Basses- 

 Pyr^ndes, Ardeche, and Drome ; and of 1 per cent, in Nord and 

 Indre-et-Loire. In 52 departments, the acreage under wheat is 

 the same as in the previous year, and there has been a diminuticn 

 of from 1 to 5 per cent, in 14 departments. The decrease has 

 been 6 per cent, in the Vosges ; 8 per cent, in Manche and Isere ; 

 10 per cent, in Herault and Haut-Rhin ; and 15 per cent, in 

 Var. 



