The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-06

this makes the loss of both kinds of wheat
aggregate 100, 600, 900 bushels, which is
10000 600 bushels more than the average
exports of the last five years and "a, OOO,-
600 bushels more than the average ex-
ports Of ten years, indicating very
clearly that even were there not great
deficit in the rye crop that the power of
Russia to export wheat had been des-
troyed until another crop could be grown.
but this Is not the worst IN store for
the great northern empire as the
rye crop-including that of Poland
and Finland-has, during the last
ten years, averaged 725, 5000 bushels
per annum and the rye exports
100000 bushels mostly to Germany,
Belgium, Holland and Scandinavia.
Now, however, the rye crop of Russia is
practically destroyed, the estimates of
yield ranging from 25 to 60 per cent of
an average. Accepting the highest esti-
mates of yield and the deficit reaches the
enormous total of $50, 900, 900 bushels to
be added to a deficit of 1000, 900
bushels of wheat clearly showing. if the
estimates are only approximately cor
rect, that the exporting power of Russia
has been obliterated and her 100, 900, 900
people left with, at best, but 800, 00O, 900
bushels; and if we take the medium esti-
mates, but 450,000,00 out of the
800, 600, 900 bushels of wheat and rye
annually required for home consump D.
ton. Can there be other result than
the cessation of all exports and the death
of great multitudes from starvation?
Today, before the ordinary date for
the harvest, famine prevails in the pro-
vinces of Kaluga, Kazan Kostroma,
Kursk, Moscow, Nijni-Novgorod. Orel,
Penza, Ryasan, Samara, Saratoff, Sim
brisk. Tamboff, lula, Vladimir, Vorenej.
Vyatka and the Northern DonCossack
country and has prevailed for months
in few of these provinces. Famine is
also said to prevail in Bessarabia and
Volhynia, but this yet lacks confirmation.
1t is most significant that eighteen Of
the most populous and productive of the
fifty-one provinces of Russia proper
containing population of 5000, 900 or
45 per cent.-should be reduced to q
state of famine before the harvest sea-
son. 1t shows conclusiVely that the grain
reserves of this great exporting coun-
try have been completely exhausted and
that the rich black-earth region has
over-sold itself, and it goes far to show,
what has been otherwise shown, and
that is that Notwithstanding the fact
thot the worlds wheat crop of 1890 was
80, 900, 900 bushels above the average the
would is today the possessor of less
wheat and rye than for many years and
that population has so increased that
current production is less than current
needs.
The eighteen provinces named are
among the most productive of the en-
pire and very largely constitute its gran
airy, and it seems inevitable that with
crops in the deplOrable condition that
obtains in many of these provinces-as
well as others-the harvest In such local
tiles will not return the seed sown and
that the whole empire, with its 100, 900, 900
of human beings, should be decimated
by starvatian before it is possible to har-
vest another crop and that similar con-
ditions are not unlikely to obtain, meas
urably, over large part of continental
Europe as only the Danubian countries
have grown enough grain to meet home
needs and there is-with Russian ex-
ports eliminated-no possible source
whence the required supplies can be
drawn.
A conservative estimate of require
ments to be met, and most liberal one
as to possible supplies, gives results as
follows-wheat and rye being treated as
one as the world has come to that pass
that the hungry will be glad to get
either: