black bread eaten by the French.  Since that time half a century has passed, and whilst the agricultural produce in France has tripled in value, the labourers who produce it continue, from custom and necessity, to eat a detestable bread made from rye, barley, or peas and potatoes; and, to make the matter still worse, it is badly baked, without yeast, and being sometimes kept for weeks, it becomes covered with mould, and altogether presents an appearance enough to turn the stomach of a savage.

According to Mr. McGregor’s estimate some ten or twelve years ago, the land under wheat culture was 13,808,171 acres, producing 191,000,000 bushels; and 11,715 acres with spelt, or red wheat, the yield of which was 374,000 bushels.

The other crops were—­

Acres       Crops, bushels
Maslin     2,251,438       32,000,000
Rye        6,369,879       76,000,000
Barley     2,936,453       45,000,000
Oats       7,416,297      134,000,000
Maize      1,561,372       20,000,000

Wheat and oats are grown all over Russia, which is the greatest corn land in the world.

In Austrian Italy the yield of grain has been reckoned at three million quarters, but this seems rather low.  About one-half of this is maize and rye, and a quarter wheat.

It is reckoned that eight million quarters of grain are raised yearly in Denmark, but this seems doubtful.  In 1839, a million quarters of grain, however, were shipped from that kingdom.

BRITISH AMERICAN PROVINCES.

According to the census return of 1852, the number of acres under grain crops, and the produce in Canada, were as follows:—­

Lower Canada—­Produce.  Upper Canada—­Produce.

Acres.           Bushels.                    Acres.           Bushels. 
Lower Canada—­Produce     Upper Canada—­Produce
Acres       Bushels       Acres      Bushels
Wheat         427,111     3,075,868     782,115    12,692,852
Barley         42,927       668,626      29,916       625,875
Rye            46,007       341,443      38,968       479,651
Oats          540,422     8,967,594     421,684    11,193,844
Buckwheat      51,781       530,417      44,265       639,381
Maize          22,669       400,287      70,571     1,666,513

Flour may be valued at 21s. the barrel.

The grain crops in Lower Canada are taken in the minot, and not in the bushel, except in the townships.  In like manner, the acres are taken in arpents.  An arpent is about one-seventh less than an acre; and a minot about one-eighth (some say one-twelfth) more than a bushel.

During the years 1850-1, Western Canada exported upwards of two million barrels of flour, and three million bushels of wheat, being equivalent to 13,600,000 bushels of wheat.  The value of the wheat and flour exported in 1851 was L404,033.  Canadian flour, like that of Genessee, is of very superior quality.