BRITISH AGRICULTURE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2077, 2 March 1889, Page 3

BRITISH AGRICULTURE

4 The agricultural returns for Great Britain, which wero Issued near tho end< f November, state that tho total area returned under wheat m Great Britain 1b thin year 2.664 600 aores, an inoraaae of 246 000 aores or 10*6 par o<mt more thau th it of the area of 1887, ond nearly 9J.000 aoreß more then the average of the previous five yoars, The total area <«♦ all tbo corn crops m Gruat Britain m 1888 was 8 187 700 acres, &n increase of 41,800 none over that of 1887, bnt nearly 1000,000 acres lees than In 1878, wh n oorn orops covered 9,167,600 aoros. Aa regards barley, the extent m Great Britain m 1888 was 2,085,561 xorea, only 405 over the acreage sown m 1887, when the hot of its being then the smallest area that had ever been recorded for this omr> was referred to. Oats were aowo on 2,882,200 aores a decrease of 205,700 aores, or 6 7 per con*, from last year, when, however, they covered the largest breadth of land so cultivated slnee these statistics have been obtained. OI the oiLer oorn and pulse crops the acreage under rye shows aa inoretse of nearly 20,000 aores. Baaus have decreased by 31,600 acres, the malt of tbe dry summer of 1887 being mentioned' as a principle cause fur the decline, while peas have looreaied by 11,900 acres. The total number vf horses is 1,936,702, a slight decrease of 223 from 1887. Of o»ttle 10.265.600, a decrease of 371,360 Sheep, 29,938.716 ; desreaae, 463,034