Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1897 — WORLD’S YIELD OF GRAIN. [ARTICLE]

WORLD’S YIELD OF GRAIN.

Deficiency in the Wheat Crop Will Bo 50,000,030 Bushels. Following is an abstract of the monthly report of the Agricultural Department on the European crop situation, summarizing the reports of European correspondents to Statistician Hyde: Recent information, while it may in some cases modify estimates for particular countries, does not essentially change the situation as regards the deficiency in the principal cereal crops of Europe. The outlook for wheat in the Australasian colonies continues good, but the prospects in Argentina are somewhat less bright, owing to drouth and frosts. Accounts from India are quite favorable, both as to the Kharif crops harvested, or to be harvested this fall, and as to the seeding of the Rabi crop, to be harvested next spring, which latter includes the wheat crop. The annual estimate of the world’s wheat and rye crop issued by the Hungarian ministry of agriculture gives the following revised results for 1897, compared with 1896: Wheat production, fanporting countries, 800,771,000 bushels for 1897, 886,639,000 for 1896; exporting countries, 1897, 1,341,806,000; 1896, 1,452,902,000; total wheat production of both importing and exporting countries in 1897, 2,142,577,000; in 1896, 2,339,541,wnnet deffcitmTß97, 202,895;000; 1896, 130,534,000. The world’s rye crop is put down by the same authority as follows: 1897, 1,163,457,000 bushels; 1896,1,203,185,000 bushels. Against the net deficit of approximately 203,000,000 bushels of wheat estimated by the ministry, they estiiffhte that there is a residue of from 145,000,000 to 170,000,000 bushels out of former crops, leaving in round numbers from 58,000,000 down to 83,000,000 bushels as the quantity by which it would be necessary to curtail consumption if these estimates should prove to be correct. It is of course quite likely that under the influence of high prices consumption will be curtailed by more than this amount and that existing stocks will not be reduced to near the point of complete exhaustion. Extremely pessimistic reports as to the extent of the crop failure in Europe have been circulated, but the liberal quantities coming forward for shipment have led dealers to receive such reports with incredulity. It is probable, however, that much of the Russian grain going to western European markets is out of the more liberal harvests of former years, and there is evidence tending to show that the crop of 1897 is at any rate considerably below the average. The markers of Europe will apparently be inadequately supplied with good clear j barley suitable for malting purposes, com- ! plaints on this score being common among growers in large parts of Germany, Aus-tria-Hungary and other countries, including the province of Ontario, in Canada, in which such barley is usually an important product. The European potato crop is apparently a short one, and the fruit crop is also defioient Consul Eugene Germain of Zurich, Switzerland, after an investigation of the European fruit prospect, expresses the opinion that there will be a good market for American apples and dried fruits this season If growers will be careful to put up choice stock qnlj. IJg says: smaller tha® eighties in French prunes will pay to snip to Europe, and all other dried fruit must be uniform in size and attractively packed.”