The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-30
London Letter.
From Our Regular Correspondent
LONDON, July II, 1881.

LONDON, July II, 1881.
A week of almost uninterrupedly fine
weather, with a high temperature both by
night and by day. and without high winds,
has proved very favorable to the successful
blOssOming of the wheats; and, as a large
portion of the English wheat crop has been
in blossom during the past week, harvest
prospects Tor wheat may be fairly accredited
with that muCh-a very important item--to
their good The earlier wheats have Ind high
winds, night irosts ana storms to contend with
during their bloSsOming time, but the bulk OF
the acreage under wheat IN England has,
doubtless, passed through that critical period
during the past week under highly favorable
circumstances.
The Austrian Government has received from
the Austro-liungarian Consuls IN the various
countries of Europe a series Of special reports
on the present state of the crops, and The pros
poets of the coming harvest throughout the
continent. The results have been published
by the Vienna Minister of Agriculture, and
may be summarized as follows:
"Throughout Southern Europe cereal crops
are with few exceptions, in very satisfactory
condition. In a majority OF districts there
will probably be considerably more than an
average harvest. 1t Is only in Portugal that
the yield promises to be below the average.
In Spain and most parts of Italy the promise
is satisfactory; in Lombardy, Greece and most
parts of Balkan countries, highly satisfactory.
In the lower parts of Bulgaria, Seevia, and
Roumania, however, the spring floods have
done great damage. The excessive rams and
floods IN Moldavia have SO injured the crops
that only the average yield is expected.
"In Central Europe generally there is prom
lse of a satisfactory average harvest. In swift
erland the result Is expected to be considera-
bly, in excess of the average. In Germany the
onlv provinces where the yield will tall sensi-
bly, short of fair harvest arc east and west
Prussia, the falling off being attributed to
wet autumn, a severe winter aud cold, damp
spring. From Russia or Poland, too owing
10 the same causes, the harvest will probably
be considerably below the average In Sax
onv, Thuringia, and some other parts of Ger
many, the socailcI English variety of wheat
(triticum turgiduii) has done badly, but the
native variety (triticHm cHlgdre) has thriven
we'll
an Western Europe, including France, Bel
rium and the Netherlands the cereal crops
are generally in very satisfactory state. 1t
is only IN some parts of Southern France that
the yield promises to be below the average.
In Holland, on the other hand, the prospect is
highly satisfactory, considerably more than
the ordinary yield being anticipated.
AS regards Eastern Europe, the harvest in
Russia will be very unequal IN different parts,
but the general result will be an average har-
vest In several governments the severe win
ter has killed the seed, and the spring sown
crops have progressed but slowly; but from
most districts the reports are satisfactory.
Taking Europe as a whole, the harvest OF
the present year promises to yield more than
the average. This result will, however, be in
psrt due to the fact that the area sown with
cereals Is larger than the average tor some
years past"