Statistics affecting British Agricultural Interests. 419 
in Stirlingshire and Dumbarton, but little over half a crop in 
Dumfriesshire, and two-thirds in other Border counties. The 
estimate supplied shows but little more than a seventh of a crop in 
Orkney. 
Adding together the gross estimated produce of both kinds of 
Hay in the past season, it may be interesting to compare, as in 
Table VII., the general results of the year with those recorded for 
1892, itself a year of under average production. If we contrast the 
aggregate Hay crop of the leading geographical divisions of Great 
Britain and of the eight groups of English counties previously 
tabulated in respect of their cereal crops, it is possible to see what 
percentage of loss has resulted from the diminished acreage and re- 
duced yields of the year, and where it fell most heavily. 
The aggregate Hay harvest for Great Britain was, it is seen, not 
two-thirds of the 1892 crop, but in England not much more than 
three-fifths was obtained, while in Scotland the loss was 10 per cent, 
only. Again, throughout the two divisions forming the Eastern 
half of England, the production of Hay in 1893 is just about half 
that of the same district in 1892. In the third division of South- 
Western and West Midland Counties the proportion of loss is 37 to 
39 per cent. In the six North-Western counties the loss is just 30 
per cent., but in the other section of this division — that is, in York- 
shire, Durham, and Northumberland — not much over one-fifth of the 
crop was lost. 
The Hay Crop in Europe . — In France the failure of hay was con- 
spicuous, especially in the central departments, and a deficit of some- 
thing like 15,000,000 tons has been suggested. Complaints were 
numerous of the impossibility of maintaining the cattle on the 
scanty pastures and the small hay crops secured, and, as with Our- 
selves, the driving of half-fed stock into the markets led to much 
depreciation of values. Various expedients in the use of novel 
fodder plants were resorted to, and the anxiety of the French 
Government was shown by official inquiries made abroad as to the 
probable sources whence foreign supplies might be sought, while 
the import duties on fodder were suspended until the end of the 
year. The total imports into France are said to have increased 
from 21,000 tons to 159,000 tons in the year. 
In Germany severe losses in certain districts were experienced, 
especially near the Rhine, and after July 4 the export of hay was 
forbidden, as well as that of fresh and dried fodder plants and 
chopped straw. The final official reports put the clover and lucerne 
hay crop for the German Empire, as a whole, at 21 per cent, under 
the previous year’s yield, and 24 1- per cent, under average, the per- 
manent meadow hay being 22 and 23 per cent, respectively under 
the same estimates. 
In Austria-Hungary the consequences of the drought induced 
the Government to take similar measures of precaution, and ex- 
ports of hay, oil-cakes, straw, and chaff were prohibited, although 
on the Hungarian side of the dual empire, where the hay harvest 
