In a recent evaluation, M. Augé-Laribé (L’evolution de la France. agricole, Paris, 1912) arrives at the following figures: —
| Years. | Area under wheat. Acres. |
|---|---|
| 1862 | 18,430,000 |
| 1882 | 17,740,000 |
| 1892 | 17,690,000 |
| 1900 | 16,960,000 |
| 1910 | 16,190,000 |
The average crops for each ten years since 1834 are given as follows:
| Years | Crops in bushels. |
|---|---|
| 1834–43 | 190,800,000 |
| 1856–65 | 272,900,000 |
| 1876–85 | 279,800,000 |
| 1884–95 | 294,700,000 |
| 1896–1905 | 317,700,000 |
| 1906–09 | 333,400,000 |
The wheat crop has thus increased in seventy-five years by 74 per cent., while the population increased only by 20 per cent.
For potatoes, the increase is still greater: while 198,800,000 cwt. of potatoes were grown in 1882, the crop of 1909 was already 328,300,000 cwt., the average yield of the acre growing from 148 cwt. in 1882 to 212 cwt. in 1909.