ouis XVI, Arthur Young referred with horror to the
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.