Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-25
Condition of Foreign Crops.

Oh oTelku ATOpss
The Agricultural Department in its
monthly review of the foreign crop situa-
! ton, dey0tes much attention to the grain
crop of Russia, especially wheat, on ac-
| count OF its magnitude as factor in the
European supply. The review says that
all accounts agree in representing the
wheat crop as deficient, but much differ
| ence OF opinion exists as to the extent Of
| the deficiency. After quoting many dis
patches painting the crop situation in va
riOus provinces in very black colors, and
| the statement of the American consul at
Odessa that this years crop has proved a
| failure, the review calls attention to the
| fact that since harvest Russia has ex-
ported grain very freely" The report
continues:
''rhe exports of wheat from Aug. 1 to
Oct. 23 amounted to 4,152, $40 quarters,
| against $3.50, ,04O quarters, and 1888, $50
| quarters during the corresponding period
in 1896 and 1895 respectively. Those
very large exports have led commercial
papers to withhold their crcdence from
the more pessimistic of the reports which
have been published. That the crop was
| deficient was admitted, but that the fail
ure was so serious as such reports implied
| few Of the grain dealers of western Eu-
rope believe.
Recently, however, some change of at
| titude is becoming apparent. Stocks in
| the ports are not increasing in the man
ner usual for this time of year, and the
| opinion is freely expressed that after this
| month Russia can be relied ON for only
| very moderate shipments
1T is generally understood that Russia
had large stocks of wheat left over from
the crops of the preceding year. and this
| fact, coupled with the good prices which
have prevailed, ma: account for the large
exports which have taken place, even
though the crop failure in large parts OF
| Russia has been extremely serious"
| The review says the estimates of the
| Russian crop are so uncertain that their
| reproduction would be of doubtful utility.
| The preliminary official figures for France
show n reduction Of 26 per cent below
| 1896 and IL per cent below the average
| for ten years. AS for five years France
| and Russia produced 26 per cent of the
worlds crop, the review says a heavy
shortage in both countries would, there
fore, be sufficient in itself to produce a
very sensible effect on the worlds sup
ply, independent of the short crops in Aus
| tria- Hungary, the Danubian and Balkan
countries and elsewhere, and the short
ness of the last crop in India, Australia
and Argentina.
In Germany rye, which is the principal
bread grain in thA country, has been Of
| ficially estimated at per cent less than
| last years crop.
The various estimates for Austria Hun
gary are more or less conflicting, but there
is no doubt as to there being a heavy
deficit in the wheat crop. The wheat
| crop OF the United Kingdom is estimated
| a little short OF 81, 900, 900 bushels. The
preliminary estimate Of the Italian wheat
crop makes ii 80, 131 900 bushels, against
Ia, 122,1OO bushels last year. The ROu-
| manian wheat crop is estimated at 3D.
| 134, 100 bushels. The Bulgarian wheat
crop is estimated at 40 per cent, rye at 35
to 40 per cent, and barley at % per cent
less than last year The wheat crop Of
| Turkey has been estimated at 80, 800, 600
| imperial bushels.
| As regards crops now growing in the
| southern hemisphere, the news continues
| to be favorable on the whole. In Argen-
| tina drought, which for time in some
| provinces threatened serious injury, seems
| TO have been generally broken, and dan
! ger of any serious loss from such a source
seems now, in the advanced state Of the
| crop, to have passed The Indian wheat
| crop has been scwn under favorable con-
| ditions, and the same is in general true
Of the winter grain crops Of Europe, and
both in India and in Europe the weather
seems, in the main, to have been very
favorable to the growth of the seed