PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY

1075

Production and Industry.

I, Agriculture.

The surface of the Netherlands was divided in 1911 as follows (in hectares, 1 hectare = 2 -47 acres) -.—Uncultivated land (heath), 533,807; water and morass, 123,853 ; dykes and roads, 53,050 ; untaxed land, 78,064 ; building land, houses, &c., 47,756. Total, 836,530 h.a. Cultivated land : arable land, 872,171; pasture, 1,213,073; gardens and orchards, 78,097; forest, 260,923. Total, 2,424,264 h.a. , a .^ xr ^^ i

Large estates prevail in the provinces of Zealand, bouth Holland, Groningen, and North Holland ; small estates in North Brabant, Guelders. Limburg, and Overyssel.

The number of estates was in 1910 :— 5 hectares and less, 109,605 ; trom 5 to 10 hectares, 41,439 ; from 10 to 20 hectares, 30,821 ; from 20 to 50 hectares, 23,797 ; from 50 to 100 hectares, 3,278 ; above 100 hectares, 216, 49-2 per cent, of all estates being held by farmers, and 50*8 per cent, by the owners. In 1899 the percentage was 43*6 and 56 •4.

The areas under the principal crops, in acres, were as follows :—

Products.

1910 1911 ; 1912

Winter wheat Summer wheat Winter rye Summer rye Winter barley Summer barley Oats. . Buckwheat Horse beans Peas . Beans.

Brown mustard White mustard Garroway seed

eed seed

Acres

120,702 16,167

549,890

5,155

51,187

19,042

352,515 35,550i 50,()05: 65, 352 i 15,7(52 2,127 3,117 19,232

Acres i

133,685

10,162

558,227

5,182

55,765

14,277

345,465

32,382

47,037

55,905

17,020

' 2,137

1,870

20,575

Acres

135,065,

9,140i

558,7021

6,287

54,072

13,272

342,477

29,410

42,162

64,460

17,165!

1,9521

2,4071

8,165l

Products.

Poppy sted. Flax . Tobacco Canary seed Table potatoes Factory potatoe Sugar beets Cliicory Onions

Sugar-beet seed Spinach seed Onion seed. Radish seed

1910

1911 Acres

Acres

652

600

29,370 942

39,277 1,002

832

1,177

332,042

73,495

340,587

75,375

140,180 1,747

139,000 2,877

6,007

6,282

200

265

200

1,995 250

542

1912

Acres

1,567

37,155

1,012

815

346,615

4,530

157,135

2,912

7,042

477

3,560

332

872

The mean yield of the more important products was, per hectare, m hectolitres (1 hectolitre = 2 "75 bushels) : —

Average,

Average,

Average,

Average,

1910

1911

1871-80 22-0

1881-90

1891-1900

1901-10

28-6

Wheat

23-4

24-9

•29-6

33-7

Rye .

17-3

19-1

21-0

23-6

•24-4

25-2

Winter barley .

30-0

40-4

41 -6

44-5

41-1

45-0

Summer barley .

28-8

29-7

32-1

36-0

34-5

3y-0

Oats .

38-3

38-3

42-2

47-1

45-1

45*2

Potatoes

136-0

154-0

180-5

203-0

192-0

219-0

Buckwheat

17-4

14-3

15-0

18-3

20-6

10-3

Beans .

•21-7

22-7

23-9

•27-2

•23-1

23-2

Peas .

20-5

21-5

23-5

•24-7

16 9

28-9

Rapeseed .

21-3

23-5

i 23-9

27-9

22 8

26-4

Flax (kilo.) Beetroot ,,

476-0

490

1 496-5

624-0

548

600-0

26,260-0

24,809-0

j •29,122-5

29,297-0

■29,000-0

36,000-0

The value of imports and exports of the leading agricultural products in 1911 and 1910 was as follows (in guilders) :—

3 ii 2