The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-01
EUROPE WANTS FOOD
SERIOUS SHORTAGE IN WHEAT, RYE
AND POTATO CROPS.
American Farmers Are Happy mt the
Prospect of Good Prices For Their Prod
ucts = They VIII Demand n Dollar n
Bushei For These Staples.

ucts = 1hey VIII Demand Dollar n
Bushei For These Staples.
An extensive inquiry into European
crop conditions has been conducted by
the Orange Judd syndicate Of aericul-
tural papers, including The American
Agrioulturist of New York, The Orange
Judd Farmer Of Chicago anu The New
England Homestead Of Springfield
Mass Its mail advices. re-enforced by
late cables, indicate that the food crop
situation abroad is indeed grave Com
mercial estimates Of Europe's (includ-
ing England's) needs of wheat imports
range all the way from 300, 000 0C0 to
400, 900. 900 bushels. The American
Agriculturist returns indicate that
Europe's wheat crops for 1898, 1894
and 1895 averaged about I 800, 600, 600
bushels In the famine year of 1891
Europe's wheat product was only l,200,-
900, 000 The impression is gaining
ground that Europe's wheat crop this
year is even less than in 1891 If so,
she must not only import her usual sup
ply of wheat, but 800. 600, 600 bushels
more on top of that.
But this is not the worst of it. Eu-
rope usually produces as much rye as
she does wheat 1t is the bread grain of
the masses The rye crop of the princi
pal European ountries-Russia, Ger
many. France, Austria, Bulgaria, Rou.
mania, Italy, the Low Countries and
Sweden-has averaged about l, 800, 000,-
900 bushels annually for the last four
years. This season, according to The
American Agriculturist's reports and
inquiries through correspondents in the
countries of principal production, the
rye crop of these countries cannot much
exceed S75, 100000 bushels Europes
shortage in rye is even more serious
than her wheat deficit. The two crops
| together are apparently over 600, 000,-
| 600 bushels less than the normal.
Quite as bad is the potato prospect. Eu-
rope produces in ordinary seasons twice
as many bushels of potatoes as of wheat.
| Her average potato crop in the coun-
| tries above named is 1850, 600. 600
bushels Due allowance for the fears
and Congregations even of its well in
formed European representatives still
leads The American Agriculturist to
| tie conclusion that only about $780,
600, 600 bushels of potatoes will be har
vested in these countries this year
Without regard to the United Kingdom
| or Europe, here is shortage of some
! 1000, 600, 600 bushels Of potatoes. The
European shortages compared with the
| average follow:
| Bushels.
[ Wheat. ......,..,..... 4OOVoOOO
Rye ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 52o,UOOOOO
| POTATOES. ,i,VV,VU'VO
Total. i, 625, 900, 200
Tables giving these facts in detail
for each country accompany the report
published in The American Agricul-
turist. They show the heaviest decline
in rye in the countries of largest pro-
duction-Russia, Germany, Austria and
! France. These are also the great pro-
ducers of potatoes, and here the decrease
is largest The condition of the wheat
crop is comparatively of much less con-
sequence than these enormous shortages
in potatoes and rye. That Russia is
! alive to the situation is shown by the
consid Grafton which that government is
now giving to the question of issuing
an edict prohibiting the expectation of
grain.
No part of the world apparently has
any considerable surplus of cereals ex-
cept the United States and Canada
| The potato crop in these countries is
found by The American Agriculturist
| to be about % per cent less than last
year. and it may be still smaller The
United States has no pc tatoes for ex-
port, but if prices go hie } enough the
United States can spare 240, 600, 600
bushels of wheat, 800, 00t, 600 bushels
of corn, 100, 0O0 900 bushels of oats and
10, 600, 900 bushels of rye, total of say
ESQ, 900, 600 bushels. This will be the
biggest export ever made of American
| grain. 1t is just about enough to offset
! Europe's need of wheat and rye. Where
Europe is to find substitute for her
enormous shortage in potatoes is diff
cult question. She must take every
bushel of food that America can spare.
In the IL months ended June 80,
1892, following Europe's short crops of
1891, the foreigners bought from the
United States flour and wheat amount
ing to 225, 900, 900 bushels at an aver
age export price considerably above 81
bushel; of corn, III. 900, 600 bushels.
at an average value of over 90 cents a
bushel; of rye, more than IL, 900, 900
bushels, at an average Of 90 cents a
bushel. why must not the foreigner
expect to pay around these prices to-
day." asks The American Agriculturist
pointing out that the export supplies in
other countries that were available in
1891 are now exhausted. Indeed, South
America, Australasia and Africa are
already importing wheat, whereas six
years ago all but the latter were ex-
porters.
The American Agriculturist con.
cludes its report. "Beerbohm must
| have had suspicion of Europc's short
| age in rye and potatoes when he fran
tically cabled over from Liverpool that
England would be compelled to pay So
| for wheat before the next crop comes
| in from the southern hemisphere.
/ r.