French Agricultural Inquiry. 



323 



tubers in 1892 being 3*78 tons per acre, as against 3*22 

 in 1882. 



Of industrial plants, colza now produces considerably less 

 per acre; and rape about the same as in 1862, but much 

 more than in 1882. Hemp has increased, while flax, after 

 an augmented yield in 1882, has fallen back to the 1862 

 figure. But a curious result is shown by sugar-beet, of which 

 the yield in an average year was stated to be 262-4 cwts. per 

 acre in 1862, 287*1 in 1882, and only 207*6 in 1892 — a very 

 considerable decline. The production of wine from a given 

 area appears to have fallen off since 1882, but comparisons 

 with 1862 are not practicable. 



The Decennial Inquiry also includes an estimate of the 

 value of the produce in the years under consideration. Such 

 estimates are of course greatly affected by the quality of the 

 harvest of the particular year concerned, and it will be more 

 convenient to deal with the estimated total value when the 

 Report on the Inquiry is published. A short reference 

 may, however, be made to the value per quarter or cwt. of 

 the various kinds of produce ; although, apart from the 

 difference in value caused by the abundance or deficiency 

 of the crop itself, the changes noted cannot furnish any guide 

 to the course of prices in other countries, owing to the 

 constant changes in the French customs tariff. It will be 

 therefore sufficient to remark that the average value of all 

 kinds of grain, and especially wheat, as recorded in these 

 Returns, has fallen ; but that the straw has very considerably 

 increased — wheat straw, for example, being worth 2s. id. per 

 cwt. in 1892 against is. yd. only in 1862, while rye straw 

 has gone up from is. 6d. in the earlier year to is. iod. in 

 1892. Potatoes and fodder roots have fallen, while clover, ; 

 lucerne, sainfoin, and all grass show a very large rise 

 between 1882 and 1892 ; but these changes may perhaps be 

 due to the fact that the figures are for single years only. 

 Industrial plants are all now worth less (with the single 

 exception of sugar-beet), at least since 1882 ; the fall is most 

 pronounced in the case of colza. For hops the values are 

 returned at 89s. 2d. per cwt. in 1862, 207s. 8d. in 1882, and 

 90s. 5d. in 1892. 



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