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REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 

 Crops in the United States. 



A telegraphic summary in the Times states that the statis- 

 tician of the United States Department of Agriculture, in his 

 report on the condition of the grain crops on ist June, 

 estimates that there will this year be a reduction of about 

 470,000 acres, or 2*5 per cent., in the area under spring 

 wheat, as compared with last year. This would indicate an 

 area of about 18,000,000 acres. The average condition ot 

 spring wheat was put at 91*4; last year it was 100*9. The 

 average condition of winter wheat was only 67*3, as compared 

 with 76*2 on the ist May last, and 90*8 on ist June, [898. 

 Bearing in mind that this average value relates strictly to the 

 acreage still under cultivation, after eliminating some 

 .4,000,000 acres of winterkilled wheat, the condition is unusually 

 low. The area, under winter wheat was estimated on ist May 

 at 25,900,000 acres, about 160,000 acres more than was 

 actually harvested last year. The total under wheat this year 

 is accordingly considered to be about 44,000,000 acres. 



The acreage reported to have been sown to oats is about 07 

 per cent, less than last year. The general average condition is 

 887 ; in 1898 it was put at 98. The acreage under barley had 

 increased by 3-1 per cent.; its condition is also much better 

 than last year, being represented by 9 1 -4 as against 78*8. Rye 

 shows a decrease of 8*9 per cent, in area ; its prospects 

 are not so good as at the same period in 1898 (84-5 only, as 

 against 97*1). 



Crops in India. 



The second general memorandum on the wb^at crop of 

 India for the season 1898-99 was published in March last. 

 As regards the Panjab a deficiency of 6 per cent, in the 



