320 



French Agricultural Inquiry. 



bably rather below than above the average. The figures for 

 the chief corn crops are as follows : — 



Crop. 



1862. 



1882. 



1892. 





Acres. 



Acres. 



Acres. 



Wheat . 



Rye - - 



Barley 



Oats 



Other Grains 



18,459,234 

 4,762,896 

 2,684,867 

 8,209,971 

 4,466,459 



17,762,138 



4,307,394 

 2,409,986 

 8,918,162 

 3,889,603 



17,701,154 

 3,866,531 

 2,102,990 

 9,399,56o 

 3,552,665 



Total - 



38,583,427 



37,287,283 



36,622,900 



Pulse crops also show a decline, from 819,630 to 777,062 

 acres, since 1882. Potatoes (for human consumption), on the 

 other hand, exhibit a steady increase, the number of acres 

 being 3>049>973 in 1862, 3>304>398 in 1882, and 3,641,154 

 in 1892. An increase is also shown in the area under 

 carrots, turnips, cabbages, etc. (all for human consumption), 

 but the figures cannot be fairly compared, since the 1892 

 returns include catch-crops, which were not usually ascer- 

 tained in 1 8 82. 



Turning to the crops grown as food for stock, the area 

 under roots exhibits a very considerable advance, namely, 

 from 1,161,231 to 1,710,902 acres, during the decade. By far 

 the most important of these is fodder-beet, while the group of 

 "turnips, swedes, and mangolds ''ranks next, and has indeed 

 increased more in proportion than the beet. In the group 

 termed " annual fodders" vetches show a small decline, and 

 Trifolium incarnatiim a rather larger one, but maize and 

 cabbag-es have considerably augmented. Land under pasture, 

 as a whole, has increased. 



It is the industrial crops which, in so far as comparisons 

 of single years at considerable intervals may be taken to 

 accurately represent the facts, exhibit the greatest changes, 

 and in fact form the most striking feature in the variations 

 of areas under different crops. With but a single exception 

 all the industrial crops which are grown in any quantity 

 exhibit a large decline, especially colza, rape, hemp, and 



