CROPS AND LIVE STOCK IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1890.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 30 October 1890, Page 6

CROPS AND LIVE STOCK IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1890.

The British agricultural returns for the ourrent year Bhow a decrease in the area of four out of five crops since last year, while oattle and other live stock have greatly increased in number. ■ The returns show that while there ia a decrease of 63 018 acres of wheat, comparing the average of this year with that of 1889, there is also a deorease of barley to the extent of 10,352 acres, and only 14,294 acreß increase of oats to put on the other side of the account. Comparing the figures of 1890 with those of 1888, there ia a loss of 177,901 acres in tbe wheat area, and increases of 25,617 aores of barley and 20,746 of oats to meet it. Then there iB a decline in the growth of potatoes to the extent of 60,499 acrea, or 10.2 per cent, since 1888, and of 49,561 acreß since 1889. The hop acreage too has fallen off during the last 12 months to the extent of 3169 acres or 5.5 per cent. The following iB a comparison of the area of the five cropß inoluded in tbe preliminary returns for 1890 with those of 1880 :— Ino. (+)or Deo. (— ) 1890. 1880. in 1890. Acres. Acres. Aores. Wheat ... 2,386,336 2,909,436 —523,102 Barley ... 2,111,178 2,467,441 —366,263 Oats ... 2,902,998 2,791,905 +106,093 Potatoes ... 529,661 550,932 — 21,371 Hops ... 54,555 66,698 — 12,143 The wheat acreage is now smaller than it has been before since agricultural returns were colleoted, except in 1886 and 1887, and that of barley has only been aa small in 1887 and 1888. Commenting on the circumstances disclosed by the returns, the Economist points out that last year the wheat area of Ireland and the email islands was 95,186 acres. Supposing that there has been a email decrease, the total of the United Kingdom this year will be about 2,480,000 aores. At 28 bushels per acre the produce of this area would ba 8,680,000qre, and at 29 bushels it would be 8,965,000qr5. " After allowing for seed and wheat otherwise used on farms, the marketable wheat supply is not likely to exceed B,ooo,oooqrs materially, if at all, even if we have fine weather for eeouring the orop, and an a year's consumption for food in tbe United Kingdom ia about 26,500,000qr8, we shall, according to this reckoning, need to import about 18,500,000qrs during the coming cereal year, as reservo stocks will not bear any material reduction. This will be rather a large order considering how small the surpluses of the United States and India are, and the improbability of the Russian surplus being greater than the net deficiency^ the rest of Continental Europe. It is known that the Indian aurpku is only about 3,000,000qr5, and if tho estimate of tbe American wheat crop (410,000,000 bushels) proves approximately correct, only about 5,000,000qrs will remain, after allowing for a consumption of fully 370,000,000 bushels. It i 3 supposed that 25,000,000 bushels of old wheat also be available for export, and this will bring the total surplus to a little over B,ooo,COOqrs. Thus according to the best available information, the combined Burplus of tho two principal extra Europoan sources of supply will be only about lI.OOO.OOOqrs, and a connidorable portion of this quantity will be wanted elsewhore than in Europe. Of oouree there will be smaller contributions from several sources, the volume of whioh cannot be estimated at present ; but without attempting to co into further details, it is safe to pradict that the wheat consumption of the world during the next 12 months will not be met without further reducing reserveß, which are suppoßed to be much smaller than they have been in any recent year." The figures for live stock in Great Britain are more satisfactory than any recorded since the agricultural returns have been issued. The increase of 369,077, or 6 per coat., in tbe number of cattle since 1889 is remarkable. The nearest approach to such an increment during tbe laßt 10 years was 328,823 in 1884. The sheep return is equally natisfastory, as it shows increasoß of 1,640,439, or 6.4 per cent., since 1889, and 2,015,310, or 8 per cent., on 1888. It is doubtful if any equal increase to that of the past year has ever been realised. An impossible one was recorded in 1867, but it ia wall kaown that the retmun of 1860, tho result of the first attempt tD collccc agricultural statistics offioially, were incomplete. The proportionate increase in pigs is even greater than that in cattle or sheep, being 202,806, or 15 per cent., for two years. The satisfactory

.prices obtained by breeders of all classes of live stook for the last three years have greatly encouraged them, and if contagious diseases which render stook-keepiug risky can be kept under, there is every reason to look forward to a long period of prosperity for tha live-stock industry, In tha following table the figures are given for the live stock in Great Britain in 1890 and 1880 :— Increase in 1890. 1880. 1890. Oattla ... 6,508,683 5,912,016 596 680 Sheep ... 27,272.459 26,619,050 653,409 Pigs... ... 2,773,609 2,000,842 772,767 The only year since the agricultural re tnrns were collected—and probably the only year in the existence of the country — when there were aB many cattle in Great Brifain as there are now, was in 1866, when the number was 6,597,964. Sheep have not been bo numerous since 1879, when the number wns 28,167,080. The maximum record in 30,711,396 for 1868. The only record of an squal number of pigs to that just returned is the doubtful ona of 2,966,279 for 1887, which probably included pigs kept in towns and by cottagers with less than a quarter of an acre of land, which are now excluded. On the whole it is clear that there is reason for congratulating the representatives of the livestock industry upon the signs of prosperity disclosed by the returns of the Board of Agriculture.