520 REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 
14,456,000 bushels than in 1899. Potatoes, on a somewhat 
larger area, produced 17,856,000 bushels iess, the average 
yield per acre showing a decline of about eight bushels per 
acre. Hay exhibits a decrease both in acreage and in pro- 
duction, amounting to 2,196,000 acres and 6,545,000 tons. 
CROvS IN INDIA. 
The first general memorandum used by the Director- 
General of Statistics on the Indian wheat crop of the season 
1900-1901 states that in Northern India the prospects of the 
wheat crep could hardly be better. Sowings were made in 
favourable conditions over a largely increased area, and the 
winter rains came in time to encourage the anticipation that 
the yield would be abundant. These remarks applied 
specially to the provinces which most extensively furnish the _ 
export trade with wheat. In the Central Provinces, Berar, 
and Bombay, on the other hand, conditions were not so 
favourable. In these provinces the area sown was much 
smaller than the average, partly because the soil was not 
moist enough at the sowing season, and partly because the 
cultivators placed under jawar and other grain much land 
which ordinarily would have borne wheat. Nor were the 
prospects in Bombay and Berar very encouraging, for the 
‘winter rains which had so benefited the wheat crop in 
Upper India had not penetrated to those tracts. 
As regards particular provinces, the area under wheat in 
the Punjab was estimated to be about 7,805,000 acres, or 
23 per cent. in excess of the area finally reported last year. 
The crop was in very good condition, and, improved as it 
had been by recent rain, an excellent yield was expected. 
The area in the North-West Provinces and Oudh was esti- 
mated to exceed the normal by about 20 per cent.; prospects 
were good, and rain, which in December was wanted to 
improve them, had since fallen generally. In the Central 
Provinces, too much rain had interfered with the preparation 
of the land; nevertheless some recovery over the very small 
