Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-11-26
WHEAT CROP OF 1896.
THE GOVERNMENT REPORT OF THE
WORLDS HARVEST.


Less Than That of 1895.
The consular reports Of the world s
wheat crop for 1896, just issued, is very
interesting at this time because of the
recent spectacular jumps made by wheat
in the stock market and the reports of
the approaching famine in India Fol-
lowing are extracts from ~!
The result of the last wheat harvest
although completed in some countries,
cannot be ascertained precisely as yet.
So far three estimates concerning the
harvest of 1896 have been published,
namely;
Hungarian ministry Bushels. Bushels.
of agriculture ...... $500 $4,000 1885,, $3.50, 900
Partisan Echo Agrt-
cole. 1854, 322 1873 1888 392, 600
English Grain Trad.
ing journal Of Dorm
busch,,......,.... 2,579, $685. 500 2,42O. 105, 500
II must be stated, however, that i'll all
these reports, as we'll as i'll the following
tables, the figures for Russia are only
preliminary and approximate. Accord
ing to the reports, the worlds harvest
of wheat for 1896, III comparison with
the preceding year, is below the average
and considerably less satisfactory in
quality as well as in quantity. The late
and exceedingly cold spring had bad
effect on crops, and the drought spoiled
the crops i'll Europe-to great extent
in southern Russia, but in Spain and
Portugal especially. AS to the transat-
lantiG countries of the southern hemis
pherc, i'll which grain ripens in Dcccm
Der to February, the conditions for the
growth of wheat were also unsatisfac-
tory. Tho drought during the first
period of the growth of cereals and the
continual rain during the harvest had Il
bad effect on the last crop of wheat III
the Argentine Republic, Uruguay and
Chile, while the drought also damaged
to II great extent the crops of East India
and Australia.
This information, of course, refers to
the harvest gathered in those countries
during the last days of 1895 and the
first months OF 1896 Tho greater part
of the small surplus in these countries
entered the international market long
ago and was consumed during the sec
ond half of the last campaign, but i'll
view of the fact that the new grain
from these countries will not enter tho
European markets before the second half
of the present campaign and owing to
the insutliciency of information concern
ing the outlook for the future harvest
the report of tho present campaign for
these countries has been made according
to the figures of the last harvest
From figures sent i'll by different con-
suls it is seen that, in general, tho har
vest Of 1896 decreased 1S5, 1875, 542 bush
els Ms compared with the harvest Of
1895. Tho harvest i'll the United States,
Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile,
Australia and the East Indies shows
IL decrease of lG5, 392, 900 bushels OF
tho European producing countries, only
Russia shows u largo dccrcase-56, So,
ACT bushels. The countries of conSump-
ton harvested 81 ,2O5, 1913 bushels moro
than last year. Only Spain and Portu
gal among them had bad crop. France
harvested this year nearly as much as
last year. An increase compared with
last year is to ho observed only III Italy
and Great Britain.
The decrease of this years harvest is
duo also to the decrease i'll the wheat
acreage. Already, last year, i'll nearly
all the largo wheat growing countries
the area under this cereal had greatly
decreased. The great decrease took place
in the United States, Russia, the East
Indies, Austria hungary, Argentina and
Germany, the principal cause of which
was the extremely low prices the last
three campaigns.
The information concerning the other
cereals and grasses is very poor and of
such indefinite character that any esti-
mate, even approximate, is impossible.
In general it may be said that the de
crease i'll the rye harvest is still greater
than that III wheat. The Hungarian
ministry of agriculture estimates it at
l54, 165, ia bushels Here the decrease
1alls mainly upon tne exporting toun-
tries, especially Russia. Of the other
countries Austria Hungary has scarcely
an average harvest-a little below last
years. The bad harvest of breadstutfs
is not compensated this year by good
harvest of fodder grasses, except maize,
which promises good yield. A decrease
compared with last years harvest of
oats and barley is very probable i'll the
principal countries of production in Eu-
rope and i'll the United States and also
i'll the importing countries of Europe,
but this decrease is not Of such signiii-
canoe M that of wheat and rye.
News has reached Williamsport, Pa,