BRITISH GRAIN FIELDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10886, 29 September 1913, Page 4

BRITISH GRAIN FIELDS.

According to statistics recently compiled, tho wheat area under cultivation in Great Britain, Canada, Australia and v New Zealand increased from 11,500,000 acres in 1901 to 20,000,000 acres in 1911, or more than 75 per cent. To Canada belongs the largest share of this increase. In 1891 the whole area of that dominion was only 2,723,000 acres, while this year it is estimated at 9,816,000 acres, an increase of nearly 260 per cent in twentytwo years. Great Britain and Ireland have about 2,000,000 acres under wlioat cultivation; Australia's wheat area is about 7,500,000 acres, and New Zealand's about 350,000 acres. India has nearly 30,000,00 acres in wheat, or three-fifths of the entire area within the Empire. The average production of Great Britain is greater than that of the colonies or India, the yield there being thirty-three bushels to the acre. This, however, is far from , sufficing for the wants of the Mother Country. It is worth noting, however, that the British market is drawing more on the wheat produced within the Empire and less on that grown in foreign countries as the area increases. Of the total 192,000,000 bushels of wheat imported into the United Kingdom during the year ended August 31, 1912, India supplied 40,000,000 bushels, Canada 36,995,000 bushels a.nd Australia 28,317,000 bushels, while 77,000,000 bushels were procured from Russia, the United States and the Argentine Republic.

In the case of Russia and the United States, it is probable that the home demand absorbs the greater part of the crop, but Canada and Australia have a decided lead in the wheat trade with the Old Country over the Argentine Republic, which, with its vast fertile plains, is perhaps the most formidablo rival they are called upon to compete with. All other things being equal, however, tho Mother Country naturally prefers to do business with her own dominions, and the day is perhaps not far distant when all the wheat required by the people of Great Britain over and above what they raise themselves will be supplied by India and tho colonies.