The yield per acre for the year is 427 bushels, which is one bushel more than the average for the seventeen years, but 30 bushels lower than the average for 1897. This makes the total yield of the Province, notwithstanding an increased area, to fall 3,569,266 bushels below that of the preceding year. The largest acreage of turnips is found in the West Midland group, which is well known as the leading beef-raising district. SUGAR BEETS. The November bulletin, in referring to sugar beets, said that the crop was a very limited one, being grown in comparatively few localities. "The reports which mention the sugar beet are on the whole favorable, the crop being a fair one, though in some parts the beets run small. It is now practically all housed." HAY AND CLOVER. The prospects for clover, as correspondents wrote in May, were most favorable. Some heaving by frost-occurring chiefly in the early part of April-was reported in nearly every district, but not to so great an extent as to be considered serious; while, on the other hand, many reports described clover as looking splendid, especially in the case of new fields. Reports from the St. Lawrence and Ottawa counties were particularly good. Alsike did not stand the winter as well as red clover. The August bulletin remarked: "Correspondents are almost unanimous in favorable comments regarding this crop. While old meadows did not do so well, newly sown fields have large yields. Three tons to the acre are frequently reported, and four and five tons per acre are also mentioned. The yield will be about one-third above the average, Many farmers cannot find room in their barns for the surplus crop. In addition to the generous yield the crop generally has been saved in first-class condition, several correspondents claiming that in this respect it is the best for many years. Cutting was earlier than usual. Alsike did not do so well as red elover or timothy, and there will be a remarkable scarcity of seed in the case of this variety." CLOVER SEED. The November bulletin said of clover seed: "Owing the midsum mer drouth the crop of red clover seed, especially in the counties west of the St. Lawrence, was very light, the midge in the Lake Erie, West Midland and Lake Ontario groups also helping to injure the crop. Alsike, on the other hand, was well spoken of in the west. In the eastern counties, however, red clover was the better crop of the two, alsike in some cases being a failure. Briefly stated, the clover seed crop in general is not up the average." The following table gives the acreage and yield of hay and clover by county groups and for the Province: The yield of hay per acre is 1.79 tons, being .16 ton more than 1897, and .40 ton more than the average for the seventeen years. This, with the increased acreage, lifts the total yield from 3,811,518 tons in 1897 to 4,399,063 tons in 1898. Hay has its largest acreage in the dairy counties of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa district, but the West Midland group shows the best yield per acre for the three periods given in the table. FROM THE AUGUST RETURNS. Malden, Essex: There is not enough manure used on grass land. Harwich, Kent: Hay is plentiful. There is quite a lot of old hay on hand, the price being so low that some farmers left it stacked in the fields. Clover seed is so low that farmers are pasturing their clover. Raleigh, Kent: We had only one shower during the whole haying season. Walsingham, Norfolk: We have had one of the best crops of hay for several years-an excellent, sweet, well-cured crop. Clover seed will be light. Dawn, Lambton: The crop was light in this vicinity, but is worth more for feeding purposes. Turnberry, Huron: I think as to quantity and quality it is the best crop of hay I ever saw, and I have seen nearly fifty hay harvests in Canada. Amabel, Bruce: It was the heaviest and best crop of hay I have ever seen, and it has been safely harvested. Some of the yields appear fabulous. I had five tons off an acre and a half, and a neighbor says he had four tons off one acre, but these are exceptional. Arran, Bruce: Hay, especially clover, never was as plentiful in this locality, and it has been saved in such fine order, except in some cases where it was too long in being cut. Westminster, Middlesex: Saved in splendid condition. This year's seeding is not so even and good as last year's, owing to the very dry weather. Dereham, Oxford: New clover is extra good. Old meadows are not so heavy, but hay generally is of excellent quality, as it has been fine weather for curing. Dumfries, S., Brant: A large amount of well-cured hay has been secured. Garafraxa, Wellington: Hay is a splendid crop, harvested in best condition. be better. Every farm has one or more stacks in addition to its ordinary supply. It is impossible for it to Luther, E., Dufferin : There will be any amount of first-class hay for sale. Farmers will likely hold their hay over, as present prices would not pay for handling. Barton, Wentworth: Hay was a good crop, and farmers have plowed more clover in this year than ever before, which shows wisdom. Glanford, Wentworth : Clover grew with great luxuriance early in the season, so that there is very little hay but what is mixed. Hay is not so weedy as last year. Trafalgar, Halton: Clover was an excellent crop, and most of it was saved in good condition, although frequent showers discolored much of it in the earlier part of haying. Gwillimbury, E., York: A good yield got in in first-rate condition, the hot, dry weather being very favorable for hay-making. : Darlington, Durham Early cut hay has been somewhat colored by showers. Later has been saved in splendid condition. It is the largest general yield for years. Haldimand, Northumberland: Haying weather was never more favorable. There are many stacks of fine hay to be seen. I think we shall have to press hay and send it to a better market, as there is not stock enough to eat it. Hamilton, Northumberland: Hay is an enormous crop. It has never been known to be so good in this district. Ameliasburg, Prince Edward: Nearly all the hay was cut and harvested in good order, as the weather was fine. It will be double the average crop. Richmond, Lennox: Weather conditions during harvesting were superb. Nearly all was secured without injury from rain. Pittsburg, Frontenac : There is a large amount of clover. We never handled so much clover without getting any rain. Yonge and Escott Rear, Leeds: The hay crop is a good one. The weather was beautiful for cutting and curing; in fact I never saw a better season for harvesting hay and clover. Lancaster, Glengarry: We have any amount of clover this year where we used to have timothy. The season favored clover. Öld timothy meadows are poor; newly seeded fields are better. Russell, Russell: Never had a better crop, and never a more seasonable season for making. before. Pembroke, Renfrew: Hay was harvested in good condition. Clover has been an extraordinary crop all through this county. Drummond, Lanark: Hay on new fields is pretty good, but on new meadows is very light. Lindsay, Victoria: In this vicinity alsike clover is an abundant crop. There was plenty of bloom, but the honey bees did not frequent such fields while in bloom. Now the farmers find there is no seed, or at least not sufficient to pay for saving it. Otonabee, Peterborough: Clover has been well saved. That of the first year has been thick and heavy, and old meadows gave a good crop. Monmouth, Haliburton: Hay is the best saved in my experience of twenty-two years, so that it will make up for the light crop. Sidney, Hastings: The hay crop was a splendid one, being heavy and got in in very fine condition. There is enough around here, with the good crop of straw, to last two years. Clover this year was the best crop ever grown here. Morrison, Muskoka: Hay was brought in safely in fine condition. The dry weather made the mowing easy, as there was no extra labor about it. Ryerson, Parry Sound: Hay has been a good crop and well saved. St. Joseph, Algoma : Hay is a very heavy crop-perhaps the best in ten years. Lash, Rainy_River: Hay was saved in good condition, although the weather was rather showery. Clover was very fine. There is a prospect of a good second crop, as the land is in a moist condition, and cut meadows have started up briskly. COMPARATIVE YIELD OF FIELD CROPS. AGGREGATE YIELD OF FIELD CROPS. The following table shows the total yield of field crops for each of the past five years, and also the average of the seventeen years, 1882-98: In considering the foregoing table it is well to bear in mind that the figures are the result of both acreage and yield. Of the fourteen crops named, six make a better showing than in the preceding year, namely, fall wheat, spring wheat, oats, mangel wurzels and hay. The only crops failing to equal their own figures for the seventeen years are spring wheat, barley, peas and potatoes. * These figures are the averages for seven years, 1892-98. AVERAGE YIELDS PER ACRE. The following table gives the average yield per acre for each of the leading field crops by county groups for 1898, and for the Province for both 1897 and 1898, together with the average for the seventeen years, 1882-98 Corn for fodder (green). 8.08 11.07 10.93 11.46 9.991 12.82 10.44 11.78 11.20 12.77 *11.27 1.77 1.76 1.71 1.93 1.95 1.70 1.79 1.43 1.79 1.63 1.39 All the crops excepting rye (which ties) and peas, buckwheat, beans, potatoes, carrots and corn (both classes), show an increase over their respective averages for the seventeen years. The best yields in 1898 are thus distributed: Lake Erie, corn for husking; Lake Huron, barley, peas, carrots and turnips; Georgian Bay, fall wheat and beans; West Midland, oats, buckwheat, mangels; Lake Ontario, hay; St. Lawrence and Ottawa, spring wheat and corn for fodder; Northern Districts, rye. Potatoes reach their highest mark in both the Lake Erie and Georgian Bay groups. RATIOS OF AGGREGATE CROPS. The ratio of total yield of each crop in 1898 is given in the following table by county groups and for the Province; 100 representing the average for the seventeen years 1882-98: Lake Erie Georgian Bay West Midland. Lake Ontario.. 132 63 124 123 113 86 109 125 100 206 157 100 132 Northern Districts. The Province 81 151 112 64 127 137 89 135 99 136 95 78 132 149 95 123 116 76 206 103 126 137 78 199 113 125 133 The figures here presented, as in the previous table, are the results of both acreage and yield. Spring wheat, barley, peas and potatoes fail to reach the standard in the record for the Province. Fall wheat, oats, rye, mangels, turnips and hay show three figures for every group. Not one of the districts has 100 or over for all the crops comprising the table. *These figures are the average for seven years, 1892-98. RATIOS OF YIELD PER ACRE. The table following compares the yield per acre in 1898 with that of the seventeen years 1882-98, the latter being represented by 100: Rye and turnips reach exactly 100 for the Province, and peas, buckwheat, beans, potatoes and carrots are under that figure, while the other six crops go over 100. Fall wheat, spring wheat, barley and hay show three figures in every district, but none of the groups are up to or over the standard yield for every crop. FRUIT AND FRUIT TREES. Under date of May 2nd reports were sent in regarding vegetation, and these returns were summarized as follows: "Correspondents differ greatly in their opinions as to the condition of vegetation, some considering growth as being well advanced for the time of year, and fully as many others regarding the season as being rather backward. In most sections there was a fair bite for cattle at the beginning of May, and fruit trees were coming nicely into bloom with promise of an abundant yield, although the tent caterpillar was appearing in large numbers, and a green aphis was attacking the buds in some districts. In the eastern part of the Province the season was relatively more advanced than in the west." The bulletin published in August thus dealt with the question of fruit growing: The apple harvest will be a light one this season, the yield in most cases being considerably below the average. This is attributable, among other causes, to heavy rain storms occuring while the trees were in bloom, which interfered with fertilization, and to the prevalence in many neighborhoods of the tent caterpillar and other destructive insects which have wrought much damage where spraying has been neglected. Much of the fruit is small and hard owing to the drouth. Winter apples will be particularly scarce. Plums, while yielding fairly in some parts, have sustained a good deal of injury in many places from the attacks of the curculio, and the yield as a whole will be below the average. Peaches, as a rule, have done but poorly, and the crop will be small. Pears have been the most successful of the larger fruits, and are likely to be abundant. There was a good yield of cherries, although some losses from black knot are noted. Grapes will also be plentiful. The drouth proved injurious to small fruits, which promised an immense yield. Strawberries yielded fairly, but raspberries were small and dry." The November bulletin contained the following: "Fruit trees and vines are in a generally healthy and thriving condition, the principal causes of injury noted being storms, blight and, in the cases of plums and cherries, black knot. There were many causes which adversely affected the fruit crop. The drouth and frost inflicted considerable injury during the earlier stages of its development, and much loss has also been |