§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is yet able to make a forecast of the prospects for this year's harvest.
§ Mr. John HareThe reports for England and Wales indicated that, at 1st July, cereal crops looked well on the whole, but that some crops, particularly barley, had been laid by the heavy rains during June. The yields per acre of cereals, as well as pulses, were expected to be above average. The hay harvest had been seriously affected. A high proportion of grass intended for hay remained uncut and much of this was becoming over-mature, while in many areas that which had been cut had become spoiled. Outbreaks of potato blight were reported in several areas. The yield per acre of early potatoes was expected to be about average, but lifting had been delayed by the wet conditions. Root crops had made good progress.
Supplementary reports obtained after the heavy rains and flooding which occurred in early July, and which particularly affected some 12,000 acres of mainly arable land in Lincolnshire, did not suggest that the general position had seriously worsened, though some crops in the worst affected areas had been laid and 112W were waterlogged, while there had been some deterioration of root crops. There have also been some further outbreaks of potato blight.