254 



Reports on Foreign Crops. 



north-west, the outlook is good ; but it is unsatisfactory in 

 the south-east (in a wide expanse of territory between the 

 Dnieper and the Ural), east, and part of the Baltic govern- 

 ments. 



The quality of the grain is said to be good, being of full 

 enough weight and good colour ; while even where the quantity 

 is unsatisfactory the quality is said to be up to the average. 



Generally speaking, therelore, it appears that the south 

 and south-eastern provinces have this year suffered most, 

 while the south-western governments, which suffered 

 heavily last year, are among the regions yielding good or 

 satisfactory crops this year. The harvest reports from 

 Siberia are very unsatisfactory. 



The Wheat Harvest of India, i 900-1 901. 



According to the final general memorandum published by 

 the Statistical Department of the Government of India, the 

 results of the wheat harvest of 1 900-1 901 have not been all 

 that was hoped for and expected, though the harvest exceeds 

 the average. In the Panjab and in the North-Western 

 Provinces the yield was considerably in excess of the decen- 

 nial average, though the cultivator failed to obtain a return 

 proportionate to the larger breadth of land placed under 

 cultivation. In the Panjab the average was exceeded by as 

 much as 45 per cent., and in the North-Western Provinces 

 by 28 per cent. The yield in these provinces and Bengal 

 represented a supply of about 5,435,000 tons, the decennial 

 average having been 4,066,000 tons. 



In the other wheat-growing regions the conditions were 

 far less favourable. In the Central Provinces, and in Raj- 

 putana and Central India, the seasonal influences were felt 

 as they were further north, but they operated on an area 

 which was much below the average in consequence of the 

 diversion of wheat lands to the growth of other grain 

 required for the food of the people. Still worse were the con- 

 ditions in Peninsular India — Bombay, Berar, the Nizam's 

 Territory. In these tracts the monsoon rain was scanty, and 

 at sowing time the land was so dry as, in many places, to 



