The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-10-09
THE PAILY UNION
STATE OF THE CROPS IN EUROPE

Oh the prospect OF general scarcity, not IN England
only, but on the continent. In view Of the failure
Of the potato crop, and Of the light harvests of al
most all the secondary grains as barley, oats, beans
&C.. together with the generally short crops Of the
continent, the Chronicle comes 10 the conclusion
that the United States alone can be relied upon as
the quarter from which any considerable supply Of
food is TO be drawn II seems indisputabe that the
crop OF the present year in England must come
into consumption much earlier than usual Should
this be the case, the demand for American bread.
stus may be calculated to increase, rather than 10
diminish, through the coming year;
"The detailed account of the present condition
and prospects of the corn trade, British and foreign
which we yesterday extracted from the Mark-laDe
Express, will have found, in the existing state Of
public intelligence on these matters, large number
of anxiously interested readers The absolute and
total destruction of the potato crops Of Ireland and
Scotland, and the wide and growing prevalence OF
the same mysterious calamity m England, having
suddenly thrown us almost exclusively on wheat and
other grains for the means OF existence II Is painful
TO learn TO how very limited an extent our available
supplies are likely TO correspond with this enoT-
mOusly increased demand. Although 1t seems toll
eraby certain that the wheat harvest Of this country
is on the whole, and taking into account all considera-
lions Of quality and quantity, correctly described
an average CROP, there is not the slightest for
hoping that it will be found equal TO the special de.
mands OF the ensuing year. Prices have already
advanced from IS. 10 los. quarter, as compared
with their lowest point few weeks ago, yet
this advance has not says our agricultural con-
temporary, hitherto had the sLsei Of dstviag supplies
In fact, the weekly amount Of arrivals coastUise
has diminished instead Of Increasing notwIthstand-
ing this application Of stimuant that rarely fails
at this period Of the year. With regard to those in-
fari .1Jhteh VIZ nsnallty look IN cnl-
lateral sources Of supply, and which naturally
present themselves as the readlest available sub
sttue for the potato, the prospect Is far more
gloomy. In place OF the extraordinary redund-
ance which the more important Of our secondary
crops exhibited last year, we have this year a
marked deficiency. Barley, admitted all hands %
fall materially short OdS 'sDen lighter hdn barley
beans, probably not Than hay e,up and peas,
equally short Such Is the summary gwen by this
highly respectable authority, Of present proc
pects regards those articles which come neATeIl
to the aud resources Of the polatO-eatug pOr
lion Of our population. IL is needless to SubOn OR
contemporaries inference, that there is every prob
ability Of the duty on foreign wheat gradually de-
cllning in the course ola few weeks TO the minimum
rate of four shilngs.
at does not, however by any means follow that
this will insure us a supply the harvest just secured
having proved more less defective over nearly the
whole of continental Europe" The data ON W hCh
ascerained Justify, to the fullest extent the anxi
ETY. which it is calculated to excite In every corn
market in Europe, in France, Belgium, Germany,
the Baltic, and the Mediteranean-prices have al
ready riSen, lin some instances above the level of
our own) not only in consequence Of our anticipated
demand, but the direct result of home scarcity.
There il general exhaustion Of the stocks of old
crops standing from former years, which leaves
the people Of those countries unusually dependent
this years scanty supplies. A very extensive
failure OF the rye crop, which, in ordinary years
constitutes the chief dependence of the laboriDg
classes in central and northern Europe, forms ano-
Their most serious element Of continental deficiency,
and has already necessitated large ImportatioDs of
wheat into some parts Of Germany. France, as
every one knows, has, for some time past, been
large purchaser of our bonded corn, and has even
bought cargoes Of our homegrowing wheat. In
short the United States are, by universal consent,
the only quarter to which we look for any con-
siderable supplies between and next harvest and
although the crops both Of wheat and Indian corn,
in that country have been this year very abund-
ant general European competition for the export
able surplus will greatly abridge its available use to
ourselves.
sour well-informed and pains-taking contempo-
rary, the Economist strikingy corroborates the
effect of the preceding considerations ola statement
which constitutes peculiarly important element of
the general question of the existing relations be-
tween our national demand and supply. While
our contemporary confidently estimates the British
wheat harvest Of this year as being considerably
larger and better than that Of 1885, he reminds
that last years deficiency to great extent
compensated by the very large unexhansted surplus
of the extraordinarily abundant crop of 1874; which
was such that, in all probability, there was larger
amount of corn in this country the lst of Sept,
lS45, than on any previous LIST of September within
the memory of man. This yenr we have no such
outstanding resources. Thee is no uncOnsuRed
residue of past abundance to fall back upon. The
official statistics of wheat sales collected from those
markets on which the weekly averages arc struck,
show falling off in the amount Of wheat brought
to Market during the first eight months of this year,
as compared with the corresponding eight months
of last year, which-especialy considering the slim
illus to forced sales afforded by protectionst pro-
phecies of 'inundaon'--can only be regarded as in
dicating the exhausted state of the stocks in the
farmers hands The figures for the last month of
each period are particularly significant In August,
l845, 1853 S54 quarters Of wheat brought to mar
ket by our farmers; in August, 1896 only 424, 700
quarters. Our contemporaries conclusion Is, we
fear, but too well justihed-that whereas, ION the
first Of September, IS45, the stocks of old wheat
were larger than they probably had been in any
former year, OH the same day this year they were
smaller than for many years past This exclusive
dependence of this years demand on this years
supply assumes more serious aspect when ris
further remembered that, owing to the comparative
eariness OF the recent harvest, and the superior fit
ness of the wheat, in point ofqualty, for immediate
use, the consumption of the harvest Of 1916 has
commenced many weeks sooner than that of its pre-
decessor."
The Manchester Guardian has an article fully
confirming this view. We have space only for the
following PASSAGE
''Tt is impossible to take this view of the special
interests Of this town and neighborhood, without
feeling that our present prospects are by no means
satisfactory. That there is present scarcity in al
st every district of Europe, with threatened fam
inc in many, is no longer question of doubt. In
France the wheat crop is everywhere defective. In
the countries bordering on the Mediterranean old
stocks are much exhausted, and the present years
crop is very much below average, which,
at the best, is not equal to the annual con-
sumption. Throughout Belgium, Holland, Ger
many, Russia, and the whole Of the north Of Eu-
rope, the rye crop has failed The potato has also
failed, less or more, in every country where It is
cultivated for general use, France is importing
wheat from the Baltic and from this country to her
northern and western ports, and from the Black sea
to her Mediterranean ports; and the other Medter-
rnnean countries look to the same source Of supply.