43^ 



The Potato and Hay Crops of 1897. 



in the yield per acre to that of 1 896, was even in that country 

 slightly above the average rate of production. 



Hay cut from Permanent 



Estimated Total 

 Produce. 



Estimated Yield 

 per Acre. 



i 



Average 



1 lelu 

 per Acre, 

 1887-96. 



Grass. j 



1897. 



1896. 



1897. 



1896. 



1 



Tons. 



Tons. 



Cwts. 



Cwts. 



Cwts. 



England - -j 



4,963,000 ! 



3,487,000 



25-44 



17-58 



22*90 



Wales- - -j - 



479,000 



325,000 



20 20 



12-99 



17-48 



Scotland 



194,000 



248,000 



28-84 



29-23 



28-31 



Great Britain 



5,636,000 



4,060,000 



24-99 



i7-5i 



1 



j 22-53 



Although a detailed examination of the county yields 

 of hay must be deferred till the publication of the complete 

 tables, it may be interesting to indicate that the crop of 

 permanent grass was still more uniformly a good and over- 

 average one in the English and Welsh counties than 

 was the crop of clover hay, Yorkshire almost alone among 

 the larger counties falling short of a ten years' standard. 

 The Western counties generally, where the hay from per- 

 manent grass was so light in 1896, now estimate their 

 yields at much more than double those of the preceding 

 season. 



