If it be difficult to calculate the yield per acre, it is impossible to give a trustworthy estimate of the cost of raising the various cereals.  Attempts have been made to do so, and so far as they go they are no doubt accurate.  For example, in an article on ‘Farming in Roumania,’ which appeared in the ‘Times’ of July 14, 1881, from the pen of its able correspondent, there are estimates of the cost of raising and carrying to market wheat, barley, oats, maize, &c.; but when we state that the yield of wheat is put down at 18.8 bushels, maize at 22.6 bushels, and barley at 37.7 bushels per acre, it will be seen by anyone acquainted with the agriculture of the country that this cannot be used to estimate the average cost per quarter.  However, as it stands, the calculation of the total cost per acre is as follows:—­Wheat, 66.35 francs, or (at 25.10 per 1_l._) 52_s._ 10_d._; barley, 59.70 francs, or 47_s._ 7_d._; oats, 55.09 francs, or 44_s._ 4_d._; maize, 59.29 francs, or 47_s._ 2_d._; and the farmer, who is a large landed proprietor and employs labour, had evidently devoted more attention to the production of wheat than to maize, which is not usually the case.  We obtained several estimates whilst in the country, but they differed so widely that it would not have been fair to strike an average, and all that can be safely said on the subject is that the conditions of cultivation are such as to point to constantly increasing production at a diminished cost per quarter for some time to come, inasmuch as the introduction of improved machinery will more than compensate for the gradual application of manure to the soil.  There are, however, many obstacles to progress.  For political reasons the Government discourages immigration from other countries, and therefore the untilled lands will have to be idle until there is a sufficiently large population to cultivate them.  The Roumanian peasant is very conservative and slow to move, but improved communication, modern implements, the encouragement given to agricultural training, and last, but not least, the competition of the Western States of America, cannot fail to act as impulses to spur him on to increased exertions.

Next in importance to the growth of cereals comes the rearing of sheep and cattle; but this is of consequence to the country itself rather than to Western nations, as the export is comparatively small.  The number of cattle bred in the country does not appear to increase materially.[57] There are three varieties of oxen, and one peculiar kind of buffalo, of which there appear to be about one hundred thousand in the country.  The buffaloes are very dark, almost black, with horns lying back upon the animal’s neck, but in other respects they are hardly distinguishable from ordinary horned cattle.  The value of cattle naturally varies in different parts; oxen are worth from 3_l._ to 10_l._ each, according to their size and capacity for draught, the greater part of the field labour being performed