Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-09-24
Worse Than Painted.
Half Of Europe Actually on the
Verge ola Big Famine.
The Amorican nAgriculturist Figures
Crop Shortage at 2OO,OOO,OOO
Bushels.

t.asa = .sg-f3s + l Id j Il o. . . p. (
The Amorican Agriculturist Figures
Crop Shortage AT 2OO,OOO,OOO
Bushels.
Every BusheI of American wheat
Worth a Dollar in the Field.
NEW York, Sept.2o.-An exhaus-
tive study of the worlds food supply
in the forthcoming number of the
American Agriculturalist emphasizes
facts of grave importance to both
America and Europe. 1t declares
that the half has not been told about
the European shortage in bread
stuffs, which not even a bountiful
crop this year would have relieved.
Continental powers, especially Rus
sia, suppress the facts so far as pos
sible. In many Russian provinces
the scarcity of foodsbecame pro-
nounced as far back as February.
IN the Konstantinovka district many
families have not cooked meal
since Easter, but subsist on bread,
soaked rye, grain, ETC., bestowed in
charity. The prohibition Of rye ex-
ports is followed by ukase forbid
ding the shipment Of bran and other
cereal cattle foods. The astound-
ing shortage in Russia's yield of
rye, announced a mouth since by the
ministry Of finance, proves even
greater than the most cxtravagant
estimates, and effectually obliterates
all possibility of Russia exporting
any of her short wheat crop. That
Eastern Germany is in practically
the same plight admits of no doubt.
The European reserves that have
heretofore eked out insufficient har-
vests are
Everywhere Exhausted.
The parade made by Russia of
the existence of such stores in the
Baltic provinces is done for effect
to convey the impression that mill
tary stores are abundant. Such re-
serves are of small Importance.
Indeed, the danger of famine is
destined to spare Europe the horrors
Of war for fully twelve-month
hence. Accepting the largest esti-
mates of production, both at home
and abroad, and even assuming that
the United States and Canada can
export 925, 100000 bushels, there is
a deficit in the worlds food supply
of at least 2O0,ooo,ooo bushels Of
wheat and rye, with possibility of
the shortage being twice as great.
Added to this is the almost total
failure Of the potato cropin Ireland,
and a serious curtailment in the
yield of potatoes on the continent.
Even with the utmost economy of
distribution, and an unheard-of con.
sumption of American maize, grave
distress is before the masses of
Europe. Enormous exports of
wheat and -four from the United
States in August prove that Europe
regards
Tho Situation
as worse than it has yet been paint.
ed. 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 largest wheat crops and a
period Of bedrock prices? Indeed,
August wheat exports were almost
treble those of the same month last
year, and over four times as much
as the average exports at this season
Of last year. For the first time in
years, wheat bran and middlings are
being exported to Europe thus early
These circumstances are accepted as
the strongest possible reason for be
lieying that prices Of wheat are to
day unnaturally low. The Agrlcul
turalist looks for a sharp advance il
all cereals as soon as the demand
realizes the limited extent of the
world 9 actual supply. Every bushe'
of high grade wheat is today worth
fully 81 on the farm where it. grew
One Of the most marked features o1
the prosperity that is already upon
American agriculture noted by tht
same magazine is the extent to