AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1823, 29 October 1886, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

(By Our English Agricultural Correspondent.) London, September 0. PROUUESS OF HARVEST. A short period of tropical weather came to an end a week ago, wheu the temperature in a single day fell L'O degrees. The past week closed with heavy rains and thunderstorms, doing a great deal of damage in some districts. Since then the weather has been generally five, though there have been great shows for rain, and some has fallen in most parts of the country, but not sufficient to stop harvest work to any serious extent. Many farmers in the south and east of England have secured all their crops, some' having got through harvest in little more than a fortnight, the bulk of corn being small. Hop-picking is quite half finished, and although mould increased in prevalence in many plantations the crop as a whole is a splendid one as to both quantity and quality. The total yield is estimated at 630,000cwt, and this is probably within the mark. That is at least 30,000cwt in excess of the home consumption ; so it is clear that, in spite of poor crops in America and the Continent of Europe, there will be no scarcity, and prices will not be high unless the weather is bad enough to spoil a large quantity of the produce, and then only choice samples will sell at high rates.

THE MARKETS. The fine weather prevailing tip to the middle of last week depressed the corn markets, in spite of the numerous reports all tending to show how very deficient the world's wheat crop is. There was a fall of Is per quarter last week, and the imperial average price was 33s Id. On Monday the price fell Is lower. The average for barley last week was 25s -ill, and that of oats 19s Bd. Hops arc quoted at J52 to £5 12s per cwt, but some very posr lots have been sold at £1. The oattlo trade is dull, and the sheep trade steady. New Zealand mutton sold on Monday al. 3s to 3s 4d per 81b, a-s compared with 3s to 3s 2d a month ago. the world's wheat suppx.t. Two important estimates of the balance of the world's supply and consumption of wheat, iv relation to the new crop, have .just been published. The first is that of the International Corn Trade Congress at Vienna, which is as

Oats ... 4,456,500 11,190,000 2,625,0j0 5,968,500 For the two countries together there are deficits, compared with average production, of 1,166,000qr in wheat, 1,178,500 in rye, 2,265,500 in barley, and 62,500 in oats. The Minister of Commerce estimates that, while 20C,000qr of oats may be exported, it will be necessary to import 120,000qr of wheat, 178,500qr of rye, and 972,000qr of barley. YIELD OP WHEAT ABOVE OR BULOW AVERAGE.

The deficiency is greater than indicated by these figures. Supposing " England "to mean the United Kingdom, the deficiency, compared with the average production of the last six years, is at least 2,000,000qr, the acreage being small as well as the yield. More important still is an error in the estimate for India, based upon an early and erroneous official report, recently corrected. The latest official estimate puts the yield at 1.825,000 tons, or about 32,000,000qr of 4801b, as compared with a normal yield of about 33,297,000qr, and with last year's crop of 37,784,000qr. Compared with an average, then, the new crop is at least 1,250,000qr below average instead of over 3,000,000qr above. The other estimate referred to is that published in Eeerbohm's List, showing the probable export

surpluses and import requirements of the several countries as follows : —

Totals ... ... 36,500,000 26,750,000 Even here the probable requirements of the United Kingdom are underrated, supposing the reserve stocks are not to be reduced, and they do not come into tho reckoning in the table. The home crop available for human consumption will certainly not exceed 6,500,000qr, and the consumption by our present population in a year is at least 26,000,000qr. Last year it was estimated by Sir J. Lawes at 25,860,898qr, and increase of population will make more than the difference between that quantity and 26,000,000qr. No doubt the world will obtain all the wheat absolutely needed, but it will have to draw very closely upon the rather small reserve stocks, and in order to call them forth a greater temptation in the way of prices than is now offered must be given.

IRISH AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

The abstract of the Irish Agricultural Statistics for 1886 has been issued. The following summary shows the areas and increase or decrease of the crops : —

CORN AND PULSE CHOPS.

OTHEK CROPS. Flax 108,147 127,8155 19,718 — McadV& clover 2,034.768 2,094,138 50,370 ~ Purman'ut past. 10,251,120 10,160,29!.' — 90,828 The decrease in permanent pasture is surprising, or would be if the previous returns had not shown a decrease iv 1885. In the total of the crops, except pasture, enumerated above, there is an increase of 76,719 acres, while there are also increases in woods and plantations of 101 acres, and of 16,083 acres under the head of " bog, marsh, barren mountain land," &c. A decrease of 2075 in fallow land makes the grand total for 1886 the same as that for 1885, the total area of Ireland, apart from 494,726 acres under the larger rivers, lakes, and tideways, being 20,328,753 acres. The live stock returns show that the increases in cattle and sheep noted in the figures for 1885 have been turned into decreases, as will be seen below : —

Adding the figures for the crops and live stock enumerated in the summary of the returns for Great Britain, given in my last letter, we get at the following totals for the United Kingdom, exclusive of the small islands : — Wheat. Barley. Oats. Potatoes. Acres. Acres. Acres Acres. 1885 2,540,335 2,430.479 4,269,359 1.346,023 1886... ... 2,354,472 2,422,760 4,404,906 1,353,848

Last year there were 3900 acres of wheat in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, so that, even if the acreage has not boen reduced, the total area of the crop for the United Kingdom will not exceed 2,358,37" acres, which, at 25 bushels per acre, will yield 7,36i),912qr. This ib very close to my estimate of 7,360,000qr, given a fortnight ago.

THREE ACRES AND A COW.

The returns of tho Agricultural Department on the Allotment and Agricultural Holdings in Great Britain have not received as much attention from the press as was to have been expected. Probably the reason is that as there is no introduction or explanation, but simply a mass of figures under different headings, most journalists have shrunk from the study necessary to master the returns. Such elaborate tables must be "cooked" by someone in order to enable the public to digest them. The worst of it is that no one can tell from them how many allotments and small holdings under five acres there are_ in Great Britain, after all. This is a strange thing to say, but it is perfectly true, as we are told in a footnote to the returns relating to small holdings (as distinct from allotments) that " the information whence this return is compiled having been extracted from the Occupiers' Returns collected in June 1885, whereas the Allotments Return is from data obtained in 1886, it is probable that some of the abovo holdings are also included in the Allotments Return." In short, we have duplicates, so that we cannot add the totals together in order to ascertain how many plots of land there are not exceeding five acres. This is a pity, and it is not very creditable to the Agricultural Department or to the late Government which arranged for the returns. The totals, including potato grounds and cow runs, are shown below : — ALLOTMENTS NOT OVER FOUR ACRES.

So far we are on safe ground, and it may be assumed that, apart from cottage gardens under one-eighth of an acre, there are 841,099 allotments, potato grounds and cow runs for labourers, in Great Britain. Most of the railway allotments are, of course, held by railway sorvants. When we come to the following summary of the returns of agricultural holdings,

given separately, however, we cannot tell how many of tlje allotments out of the holdings not over five aores are duplicates :— AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

AREAS OF AGUIOULTURAL HOLDINGS.

Another return gives the number of each kind of live stock kept on the several classes of holdings, and it will be a surprise to many people, even to those well acquainted with agricultural affairs. The average area of land to each kind of live stock, which the Economist worked out for the several classes of holdings except the first (under an acre), for which no live stock returns are forthcoming, is shown below : — AKEA OF LAND PER HEAD OF LIVE STOCK. Class ot Holdings. Horees. Oattle. Sheep. Pigs. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres.

It has usually been supposed that fewer stock per acre are kept on small farms than on large pnes, but it appears from the figures given above that, except in the case of sheep (and in that only by comparing the farms over 500 acres with small holdings), the reverso is the case. FLAX CULTIVATION.

A meeting was held in London last week to discuss the advantage of extending the growth of flax in England, where the industry has long been declining, as it has been also in Ireland until the last two years, during which there has been a slight revival. In 1867 there were 233,257 acres of flax iv Ireland, and about 20,000 acres iv Great Britain. By 1876 the area of the crop in Great Britain had gone down to 7641 acres, ,and in 1885 it was only 2490 acres, that of Ireland in the latter year being 108,147 acres, since increased to 127,865 acres. Yet the Belgian farmers, paying much more for laud than farmers pay here, and with no speciaj advantages, continue to increase their flax acreage^ and- send large quantities to our markets. Russia is the chief source of our supply of the fibre, and India of the linseed we import. The reason for supposing that the cultivation of flax may be more profitable here than it-has been is tb,e introduction of two new inventions — one a new process of steeping flax, greatly reducing the expense, invented by Mr Henley, of 57 ChaWug Cross, London ; and the other a new {scutching machine, invented by M. Cardon, of Lille, and manufactured for the United Kingdom \by Combe, Barbner, and Combe, of Belfast. If farmers would prepare as well a$ grow flax, they would find the industry very profitable, I balieve, but they should grow for seed as well as for fibre. In Ireland the farmers grow fpr fibre only, pulling the plant before the seed is mature enough to ripen. No doubt they get a finer quality of fibre, but the difference in value between such fibre and that obtained by pulling the crop just beforo it is dead ripe is not a quarter enough to pay for the loss of the seed. 'Flax may be cut by reaping machines, and this does away with the great expense of pulling. COLONIAL AGRICULTURE.

At a meeting of the British Association last tfeek, Professor Freeman, of the Downton College of Agriculture, read a paper* on " Colonial Ag*feu]turV fa the CQMrse of which h© gave the

following averages of grain pf oductipn per acu* in the several colonies : —

It is somewhat misleading to compare yields from single harvests with those of several, and in the case of Manitoba the yield even for the year named is not correctly stated. , At any rate, according to the colonial portion of the Agricultural Returns for 1885, there were in Manitoba, in 1884, 307,020 acres of wheat, yielding 6,070,122 bushels, or - npt quite 20 bushels per acre ; 40,848 acres of barley, yielding 1,041,531 bushels, or barely 25§ bushels per acre ; and 133,004 acres of oats, producing 4,047,117 bushels, or not quite 30$ bushels per acre. This correction puts Manitoba below New Zealand in production per acre, as it certainly should be. Somehow or other it is very difficult to get the simple truth about the overrated arctio colony, and Professor Freeman has evidently been deceived by one of the many untruthful persons who puff it. WHEAT CULTURE IN INDIA, India is a country 1900 miles in length and 1500 in width, and comprises an area equal to that of the United States east of the Missis* sippi river. Little wheat is, however, raised south of the 25th parallel, the North-west Provinces and Oude being best adapted for wheat cultivation. These comprise an area of 106,111 square miles, almost a flat plain. The soil is alluvion, chiefly of clay and sand, depo« sited by fresh water, as there is a total absence of marine shells. Except in the mountainous range of the Vindhyan chain that crosses the southern portion of these provinces, there are no rocks, stones, or minerals other than silica and some mica, which are in the finest particles. The climate is the most favourable in the world for agricultural products, it being possible to grow the crops of both the hottest and ' coldest countries. The seasons for the different crops are fixed and regular, and there is not a mouth in the year in which the farmer cannot work in the fields. There are two grain seasons in the year — one in the rainy season, which commences about the 15th of June and continues until September and October. The winter crops, such as wheat, oats, and barley, which are sown in October and November, are harvested in March and April. There are occasional showers during the winter, but seldom any from March to the middle of June. Between these two grain seasons the farmer gives his attention to fruit, vegetables, and sugar cane. The farmer has scarcely any tools, but what he has are of the simplest kind. There being no hard, gravelly soil, no stiff clay, no hard pan, and no sticky, calcareous soil to work, is a great advantage to him. By a very crude implement, which can scarcely be called a plough, the land is torn up. This plough consists of a triangular piece of wood, about 18in in length and 6in in diameter at the larger end, the other being pointed. On the flat side of this piece of wood a groove is made, into which a flat piece of iron, a foot in length, an inch wide, and half an inch thick, is inserted, and held in its place by a staple. The staple underneath does not interfere with the rooting. This iron bar, which is pointed, serves as a nose, or point, to the plough. The larger end of this triangular piece of wood is mortised into an upright stick, the latter about 3ft in length, at the top of which is a wooden pin on the front side for a handle. About 18in from the ground a strip of board, 3in wide, an inch and a-half thick, and Bft long, is inserted into the upright stick, and serves as a beam and a tongue. The yoke is a straight stick, 6ft long, 3in in diameter, with four wooden pins each 6in long, one on each side of the neck of the bullocks. A small hemp rope, or grass twine, goes under the bullocks' necks to keep the yoke in its place. The beam of the plough has a few notches under it near the end, and is fastened to the yoke by a small grass rope. The plough makes no furrow, but simply roots or tears up the soil, and the ploughman, with his little goad or whip in one hand, the other holding the wooden pin in the upright stalk, walks by the side of the plough. The ! cattle are of the Brahmini species, white, slenderbodied, long-legged, and very lean. About the only feed they get for months before the rains is " bhoosa," or wheat, straw, and chaff. Pldughing is hard work for both the little cattle and the man, and the best a man can do is to tear up threG-quartors of an acre a day, and the work then is poorly done. The land has to bo ploughed in this way a number of times, especially for the more substantial crops. The cattle cost from £1 to £4 a pair, but the average price is about £1 12s. The average price of a plough is Is Bd. The only other implement used is a log or slab of wood, 6ft or Bft Jopg, drawn sideways across the field by one or two pair of cattle to crush the clods and smooth the surface. After the land is pulverised, ' and finally this is well done, too, the last ploughing tabes place, when a man or woman dribbles, the seed from the hand into the furrow. • The next operations are those of reaping and threshing.' The reaper consists of a blade of iron 6in in length, lm in width, and curved like an oldfashioned sickle, with a notched edge and short handle. Its cost is 2d. The harvester pits upon his heels, cuts a handful! of straw, which he lays down, and then waddles on without rising and cuts another lot,- He cuts atj'out one-twelfth of an acre a day, for ■which he receives 2£d, out of which he has to board Jiimself. After this primitive, reaping machine comes a binder, who .gathers up the, grain and binds it into sheaves. It is then shocked, an,d after a day or two carted to the threshing floor. The threshing machine consists of a floor — a bit of hard ground— a stake, a number of cattle, and a driver. The jjrain straw is piled around the stake in the floor, the cattle are connocted by a rope tied to their horns ami one end of the rope fastened to the stake, and the driver keeps them going until the straw is trampled very fine into what is called "bhoosa." This, after the grain is separated from it, is fed to the cattle. The people raise almost insurmountable objection to any other mode of threshing, as this is about the only way in which the straw is made into " bhoosa." They not only thresh to get out the grain, but to break up the straw, and particularly to flatten it so that the cattle will readily eat it. Mr Ozaume, superintendent of ogriculture for the Bombay Presidency, had a largo threshing machine sent from England, and made a contract with a landowner for 50 acres of wheat in order to try it. After the work had commenced the landowner fell down upon, hid knees and piteousty

begged for the threshing to stop, as it would «via him, for the cattle would not eat the straw. A. ehaffcutter to cut up the straw would not do, •s they hold that it must be flattened and made up smooth as well as being broken up short. Until this objection is overcome the people will use the cattle and the threshing floor. In time, "when they can be induced to raise green fodder, or preserve' grass as hay, or make ensilage, which is being introduced, they may adopt the civilised method of threshing. Yet their system works very well. They have the cattle and plenty of time, for after harvest they have less work to do, and the straw is very dry. The winnowing machine is a scoop, called a " soop," about 18in wide, made of reeds, and of shape like a large dust-pan. This is filled with grain and chaff and held in the wind, so that the chaff falling from it is blown from the grain. If there is no wind two men take a blanket, one at each end, and wave it between them, while a third dribbles the grain from the " soop." After threshing, the "bhoosa" is put into thatched ricks or bins, or in a corner of their huts or mud-walled houses, and fed out very carefully. It may be mentioned that the entire cost of the whole apparatus for wheat growing, including the pair of oxen, is only about 375. So far as the mode of cultivation is concerned, the first thing the farmer has to do in preparing for a crop of wheat is manuring — that is, if he has any manure, and he usually saves all he can for his wheat. This is done in May or June, jost previous to the rains. After the field has been ploughed, a flock of sheep or a number of cattle are herded on the field at night, and this costs the farmer something, as he does not usually own any sheep. The least number of times the land is ploughed is JO, and the greatest number 30. About the end of September the sowing takes place. First, a Brahmin is consulted, if the farmer is a Hindoo, to fix the auspicious time, and this being determined he appoints a man to do the first sowing, after which anyone can dribble the wheat, but not before. . The farmer's wife, on giving out the seed, reserves a little, to which she adds more grain, and then distributes it to the officiating Brahmin, the ploughman, and the labourers. The seed is carried in a basket and sprinkled behind the plough with the hand, the average quantity used being 1501b per acre. In some districts the wheat is carefully weeded, the weeds serving as food for the people and the grass as fodder for the cattle. In most places the fields have to be watered, and this has to be done usually about three times — first, after the seed germinates; next, when the wheat is about to blossom, and the last time when the wheat is in the ear. The average cost of watering, which is by different facilities and processes, is About 10s per acre. The harvest for wheat sown in October takes place in March, but usually the harvest time is in April, the wheat ripening in about five months. The total cost or raising an acre of wheat is put down as follows : —

If the land is not of the very best quality, and near to the cultivator's village, the rent would be less than the above rate, sometimes less than half of it. In a full average crop the average yield per acre is 17 bushels for irrigated land and for dry land 10 bushels. The average price for wheat in the North-west Provinces and Oude during the past five years has been 2s lOd per bushel. At this rate the 17 bushels would be worth £2 8s 2d, and the "bhoosa," or straw, 12s, making £3 0s 2d in all. This leaves a profit of 18s 2|d per acre — i.c. t if the farmer hires his labour; otherwise he gets paid for his own labour. Yet at best he gets but little, as he has to give tithes to the Brahmin, the sweeper, the watchman of the village, and others. It is most fortunate that during twothirds of the year there is something growing — weeds, vegetables, fruit, or coarser grain of some kind — or these poor people could never pnll through. They cannot afford to eat the wheat they raise, and their usual food is the coarser grains, herbs, weeds, vegetables, and cheaper fruits. So far as statistics are concerned, a very few of these may be quoted to show the great importance to which this industry has grown. In the. whole of the North-west Provinces and Oude the area for last year's crop was 5,298,026 acres, or a growth of 7 per cent, over the previous year. Of these, 1,217,855 acres were devoted to white wheats, 2,013,496 to red, and 2,066,675 acres to mixed and crossed varieties. The crop for the year consisted of 2,100,000 tons, and there were 60,000 tons in reserve from the previous year, making a total of 2,160,000 tons. Of this, 1,450,000 tons were required in India for food and 300,000 tons for seed. This left 410,000 tons, or nearly 15J million bushels, for export. For the whole of India there was last year a total area of 27,820,223 acres, which produced 8,013,096 tons, or 299,155,584 bushels, and the total export about 1§ million tons, or 56 million bushels. How this latter has grown may be judged from the fact that in the harvest year of 1880 only 109,000 tons were exported. This has grown, too, in spite of a gradual decline in value, as the following figures of average prices per qr of 4921b in great Britain and India will show :—

The following is the American estimate of the values of Indian and American wheats, plus freight to Great Britain : —

If this is a true estimate of the American cost and charges it shows much in favour of India, and explains how it happens that so rude a cultivation is able to compete successfully with the most modern and scientific systems. There is no need to go into the history of the great encouragement which the Government is giving to the growth of wheat, whether by railways or irrigation. Everything tends to show that the country is highly favoured, and that its wheat products practically rule the mwkets.— London Times.

France ... ... below England ... ... „ Germany ... ... „ Spaiu " ... ... „ Itonniania aud Turkey ... „ Russia ... ... „ United States (Atlantic) „ Australia ... ... „ Austria-Hungary ... „ Other countries ... „ Italy ... ... above Ind'a United States (Pacific)... „ Net decrease. 9,'i50,000qr. :!,ioo,ouo 1 ,030,000 -,030,000 1,037,000 1,030,000 1,720,000 2,400,000 690,000 1,270 000 1,130,(00 690,000 3,«O,O0O 1 ,200,000

:oUows : — 1886. Austria. Acres. Qr. m\ezb ... 4,426,250 4.454.540 Rye ... •1,810,003 8.123,610 Barley ... 2.643.000 4,786.560 Hungary. Acres. Qr. rt.900.000 12,308.840 3.3u0,00t> 4,98'),360 2.62-'>,ooo 4.124.100

Eng- w«Uk Scot- Great lancL Wales> laud. Britain, "otato grounds ... 80,045 13,263 17,838 111, Ml Jowruns ... ... 7,414 2,053 7,838 17,202 Detached allotments up to i acres, general ...381,049 8,018 5,450 304,511 ditto, railway ... 35,499 2,919 1,007 39.42E Jarden allotments over s-acre, general ... 230,316 27,152 15,099 272.587 Ditto, railway ... r>,492 33 617 6JI4S Totals 739,815 53.137 47,847 BU.OOS 811,09!

Increaso ... Decrease ... — — 135,5.17 7,82{ 194,863 18.719 — — 1885 LBB6 Cattle. Shfep. Pics. ... 10,826,815 30,012,691 3,07^47: ... 10,830,812 28,089,056 3,184,691 Increase Decrease 3,997 i,i 187,781

1885. 188 S. Inc se. lorses and rauleb 576.430 578,350 1,920 Jatfcle ... ... 4,228,851 4,18.1,027 — iheep ... ... 3,478,056 3,367,722 — »igs 1,260,092 1,263,133 — isses ... ... 197,170 196,263 — loafcs 261,437 266,135 1,698 'oultry ... 13,850,532 13,910,663 60,131 Dec'se. 44,824 110,334 5,959 907

1885. 1886. Inc'so. Dco'se. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Pheafc ... 71,017 68,408 — 2,609 >ata ... ... 1,328,869 1,323,205 — 5,664 larley ... 179,133 181,494 2,361 — lere and rye ... 8,743 10,864 2,121 — leans and pease 7,141 6,696 — 445 Totals ... 1,504,903 1,590,667 — 1,236 GKBEN CHOPS. •otatoes ... 797,292 799,858 2,5(56 — 'urnips ... 296,5)84 290,273 2,289 langolds&beet 37,179 37,413 2'M — )ther gr'n orops 87,854 84,632 — .0,222 Totals ... 1,219,309 ], 221, 176 1,867 —

M g 'g : 8 o 8 o 8 8 o g i a 8o < 8 0 <o 5 I R -* 1 I I I § - i § *. s »-j en if". OS tt». "h-i *00 "?-• en oo «d i«k to o co o> Q O tO Cp CO I- W to 'to o o* i en CO »1 p M C 3CO "O 03 & i. it- tO V )> A A i o .8 8 i M » © O e'p 'en "■> "o> v » *j X to oo ~j 8 to OS 5s S f g 1 o I h*4 ~i oa W CJ 'O *• » OO O W "-) c*J pj en 40 en 85 3 js 5 to Ctfcd !

United States United Kingdom ... France ... Belgium... Germany Holland... Austria-Hungary ... Russia and Houmania Switzerland Italy ... Spain and Portugal India Australia and Chile West Indies and China Greece, &o. Egypt, &c. Requirements. Surplus. Qr. Qr. — 12.500,000 ... 18,500,000 — ... 7,000,000 — ... 2.250,000 — ... 1,5u0,0U0 — ... 1,000,000 — — 7.000.0C0 ... 1,000,000 — ... 1,000,000 — 500,000 — — 5,500,000 — 1,000,000 ... 2.500,000 — 750,000 — — 750,000

o =::t i s g l, O O CJ CS Oi to to re ns ,' * * 35 3 : : pi » . - . o '," ' S? •812 S g S I - I i i a o ■© S" s £ 2 § B S3 ft 3 B O 3 "" S a t •» w as I £ k «. p a » m oo -i "« "a 'is m b w S $ S 8, 8 S X 5 O< M »J »l (O « 'w OS CO C 3 CO K> Q0 CJ< •-( Oi to oo»-toitooo65 "s i ? a a to *2 « w co o to S S3 3 •4 CO CO »-*^ "»O — 1 ** tO *• CO CO to O C 3 CO W ' 4S O O $• o> 'co as 'ik I- 1 tn ►O — « -^1 CO Oi CO to' *■ >-• lo u> to s w o I-" 'a o ia. I to bo cS o? Oi 7^. "fli *eD "ca tp ■'I ?D »-* «P g< w o s ? 05 to "en co To to co en 83 £ 5? tO -J M a to )-• c/t co go CO g o CO O> to Ei 'in to to to 3 S r w

a auu uoii over oa ... i<rt )ver 5a and not over 20 17*0 „ aOu „ 50 18-4 „ 30a „ 100 20"4 „ 100 a „ 360 25-3 „ :500a „ .300 27-3 „ ftOOa „ 1000 31T) )vcr 1000 a 417 jS<l 8-0 3Ti Cl s*l 13-6 SH 100 ru 1-3 VI 1-3 1-4 I'l 0-11 0J» Si. 5-1 0-0 12-6 16-J) :!V0 .19-2

Colony. Period. Wheat. Batfey. Oats. Bush. Bnsb. Bush. N. S. Wales ... I3yrs 14*93 20-S8 20-31 Victoria ... ... ,", ]253 20"22 20-85 South Australia ... „ 7*90 ISJ-52 12 # 9D Queensland ... 7yrs 11-33 17*43 14-38 Western Australia ... 12yrs 11*31 JL4'79 15 8T Tasmania 18-19 533^ a.yst; Now Zealand ... „ 26-33 2T2S 32*33 Cape Colony ... 1875 9-00 15M0 B*lo Ontario 1884 22-00 26-00 36-00 Manitoba a 2 . 00 . 31*40 41*00 Quebec ... ... 1881 9-00 — '. — New Brunswick ... „ 13-00 Nova Scotia 18-00 3500 34-00

tear. 1879 ... 1880 ... 1881 ... LBB2 ... LBB3 ... 1884 ... [885 ... mam. s. d. ... 37 2 ... ... 26 5 ... ... 22 3 ... ... 23 4 ... ... 23 5 ... ... 22 8 ... ... 21 7 ... ut. Britain, s. d. ... 43 10 ... 44 4 ... 45 4 .. 45 1 ... 41 7 ... 35 8 ... 34 1

Josfc of wheat per qr at Delhi ... ... 20 6 iailway freight ... ... ... g q •hipping ... ... ... ... c 8 Total cost in London for 4921b Indian wheat... ... ... £i 13 2 /osfcof wheat in Chicago per qr ... ... 32 v lailway freight, Chicago to New York „, 6 2 )cean freight to London ... ... 2 4 Total cost per qr of American wheat £2 l 5

Bent, per acre ... Cartage of manure 1601b of seed ... Ploughing 20 times Sowing by band Watering three times Heaping and carrying Threshing Winnowing Total ... s. d. ... 14 6 ... i 10 ... 6 8J ... 3 1* ... 0 7} ... 10 0 ... 2 6 ... 1 54 ... 0 3j £2 1 11§