252 REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 

the average, but potatoes were expected to yield, on the 
whole, a crop not far short of the average. 
THE WHEAT HARVEST OF INDIA, 1899-1900. 
The final general memorandum on the wheat harvest of 
India for 1899-1900 summarises the results as follows: 
In the three wheat-growing provinces of Northern India, 
namely, the Panjab, the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, 
and Bengal, the wheat harvest was on the whole a little 
over the average, though not so good as last year. In the 
North-Western Provinces the yield was good, better than 
last year, and much better than the average, which was 
affected by bad years. In the Panjab the yield was not up 
to the average, which was, however, raised by extremely good 
years, nor was it as good as last year’s harvest. In Bengal 
the yield was better than the average, but not as good as last 
year. The season was not on the whole favourable for these 
provinces, and only resort to extensive irrigation permitted the 
relatively satisfactory yield recorded. The actual estimated 
yield in tons for these three provinces is as follows : 
North- 
Panjab. Western Bengal. TOTAL. 
Provinces. 
-Average of five years ... 2,163,908 ... 1,418,972 ... 476,400 ... 4,059,280 
Last year... ae: .« 1,977;777 .-. 1,808,516 ... 656,400 jouer 
-Present Season ... x. 1,823,182 ... 1,950,814 ... 572,000 =o eaeaeeeee 
Elsewhere the crop was a lamentable failure. The 
monsoon retired after scanty and irregular rain in September, 
and thereafter there was practically uninterrupted drought in 
most parts of the region now stricken by famine. In many 
places no sowings could be made, and in others the crop was 
unable to maintain itself in a soil which held no moisture. 
Often indeed even irrigation was of no avail, for the wells and 
canals held no water, In this region, which comprises all 
Central and Western India, the crop obtained was but little 
more than one-fourth of the crop of last year. The yield was 
544,000 tons, as compared with 1,980,533 tons on an average 
