Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-21
THE WORLDS FOOD SUPPLY.

The Half Not Told About the Euro. pean Shortage of Breadstuffs-The Danger of Famine Destined to Spare Europe the Horrors of War for . Twelve-Month. -f.- NEW YORK, Sept. 20.-An exhaustive
 study of the worlds food supply in the
 forthcoming number of the American Agriculturalist emphasizes facts of grave importance to both America and Europe. It declares that half has not been told about the European shortage in breadstufs, which not even bountiful crop this year would have relieved. Continental powers, especially Russia, suppress the facts, so far as possible. In many Russian prov inces the scarcity of food became pro nounced as far back as February last. In the Konstantinevka district many fami- lies have not cooked meal since Easter, but subsist on break, soaked rye, grain, etc., bestowed in charity. The prohibi- ton of rye exports is followed by ukase forbidding the shipment of bran and other cereal cattle foods. The astounding short
 age in Russia's yield of rye, announced month since by the ministry of finance, prove even greater than the most extrava- gant wheat crop. That eastern Germany is in practically the same plight, admits of no doubt. The European reserves that have heretofore eked out insufficient harvests are everywhere exhausted. The parade made by Russia of the existence of such stories in the Baltic provinces is done for effect-to convey the impression that mill tary stores are abundant. Such reserves are of small importance. Indeed the dan ger of famine is estimated to spare Europe the horrors of war for fully twelvemonth heneea Accepting the largest estimates of production, both at home and abroad, and even assuming that the United States and Canada can export 225 ,000, 900 bushels, the American Agriculturist still finds deficit in the worlds food supply of at least with a possibility of the shortage being twice as great Added to this is the total failure of the potato crop in Ireland add a serious curtailment in the yield of potatoes on the continent. Even with the utmost economy of distribution and un- heard af consumption of American maize grave distress is before the masses of Flu rope. The American Agriculturist says the enormous exports of wheat and flour from the United States in August proves that Europe regards the situation as worse than it has yet been painted. Otherwise why should she buy in single month, close upon the harvest, nearly half as much wheat as she took from the United States during the entire first eight months of the year following one of our larg- est wheat crops and a period of bedrock price? Indeed, August wheat exports were almost treble those of the same month last year and four times as much as the exports of this season last year. The Agricultu- ralist accepts these reasons for believing the prices for wheat are to-day unnaturally low. It looks for sharp advance in all cereals as soon as the demand realizes the limited extent of the worlds actual sup ply. Although noted for it's conservatism, the American Agriculturalist renews its judgment that a bushel of high grade wheat is to-day worth fully one dollar on the farm where it grew.