392 



Reports on Foreign Crops. 



Crops in Belgium. 



The official Report on the Belgian harvest, which has 

 recently been published in the Moniteur Beige, states that the 

 crop of 1897 is, in point of quantity, decidedly inferior to that 

 of either of the two preceding years, although the quality of 

 the produce is in general stated to be good. Some extension 

 of the cultivation of oats is reported, and this is the only 

 cereal which shows a higher yield than 1896. 



The following table shows the produce per acre of the 

 principal cereals during the last five years : — 



Year. 



Bushels per Acre. 



Wheat. 



Rye. 



Barley. 



Oats. 



1897 





27 'O 



26 '2 



35*i 



47 '3 



1896 





29-9 



30-8 



41 '9 



4i-3 



1895 





28-0 



29'I 



4i-5 



47*4 



1894 





27-5 



29 "5 



39'2 



447 



1893 





26-6 



27-1 



37 -o 



32 7 



• On the supposition that the crops of wheat and rye cover 

 about 1,358,000 acres, the produce of the two principal cereals 

 of Belgium would amount to 33,000,000 bushels, or about 

 -8,250,000 bushels less than in the preceding year. 



Potatoes gave an average yield of 115 cwts. per acre, or 

 about the same as last year. The quality of the tubers is 

 stated to be good throughout the kingdom. The hay crop 

 was excellent, and a yield of 42 cwts. per acre was 

 obtained. 



The yield of sugar beet, which amounted on the average 

 to 213 cwts. per acre, was considerably below the amount 

 obtained from this crop in 1896. 



