§ 99. Mr. NEVILLEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he can furnish any figures showing the acreage of land in the United Kingdom which has been sown with wheat during the present spring; whether such 189 sowing has been conducted under generally favourable conditions, or otherwise; and whether the acreage under spring wheat this year is and, if so, to what extent larger than that of last year?
§ Sir H. VERNEYNo definite figures showing the acreage of spring-sown wheat are available, but reports received from the Board's crop reporters indicate that the increase as compared with last year is rather more than 5 per cent. This increase would have been greater but for unfavourable weather conditions and shortage of labour.