The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-02
MUST FEED AL EUROPE
LATEST ESTIMATE OF AMERICAS
CROP.
Lower Prices Not Expected -Argcn-
tine Prospects Good, but the Grain
Not Available for Months.

WASHINGTON, September 21.-Thc
following relating to the wheat situ-
alton is an extract from the complete
monthly report of John Hyde, the stat
istician of the Agricultural Depart
ment.
High prives for wheat have for sew
eral weeks been bringing out supplies
quite freely and increased supplies
have. i'm turn, reacted upon prices,
causing a reaction from the highest
figures of August. The general ten
or of the information CLEANED from all
the available sources is not. however.
of a character to warrant the eNpec-
tation or the fear. according as the
matter is regarded from the consum-
er's or the producers point of view,
of any material cheapening of wheat
until another crop is in sight, with a
prospect of ampler stocks.
With an annual average European
product of over 1.42s.000.0O0 bushels
during the six years from 1891 to 1896.
inclusive. we exported 166,373,S72
bushels a year. This year the Euro
pean crop, according to Bromhall's
Corn Trade News, will, in round num-
bers. amount to 1,320,000.000 Winches-
ter bushels, or 90,000,000 bushels less
than the average of the six years in
| question.
If we make the comparison with
the figures given by Beerbohm for
1897, the deficiency in the European
crop is still greater, the figures. in
millions of bushels, being: Average
for 1s01-1so6, 142s; crop of 1897, 1915;
difference, 113. That is. according to
Beerbohm's estimate of this years
crop, there is deficiency of 113,00O.-
600 bushels in European countries, as
compared with their average product
for the six years, 1S9l-1S96-an aver
age which includes the exceptionally
small crop of 1891.
To make up the deficiency little
help is to be expected from India, Ar
gentine or Australia for months to
come, and in so far as Europe will
have to import a larger quantity than
usual, she will have to draw it mainly
from North America, and especially
from the United States, the Canaan
dian contribution being relatively
small. Official returns for Ontario and
Manitoba give for these two provinces
an aggregate of 51,O42,253 BUSHELS If
the Argentine crop shall escape the
ravages of locusts it seems likely to
turn out unusually well, and from
January, 1898, when the bulk of the
crop will be harvested in Argentine,
that country may have more or less
wheat to export. as the latest mail adj
vices represent the crop as being in
fine condition and the weather highly
favorable. There are, however, many
chances of serious damage during the
next three or four months.
The latest accounts from Australia
indicate that the drought, from which
that country has suffered for the last
two or three seasons, has broken, and
that the wheat crop is giving good
promise throughout the most of Aus
tralia, but the area was narrowed by
drought at seeding time. and as the
stocks must be low, it is not likely
that, even with full yield, the crop
will be one out of which any great
amount can be spared for expectation.
The present high prices would ordi-
narily tend to the sowing of an in
creased area in India, should the
weather be favorable this fall, but any
inclination on the part of the poorer
cultivators to take advantage of such
favorable conditions will probably be
! III Il great measure lllNdTltu ny lHt
impoverished condition in which they
have been left by the famine in the
greater part of the wheat growing dis
| trictS.
But leaving out of view the fact
that the burden of supply for Europe
will fall more largely than usual up
on the United States. it is evident that
there would, in any case. be demand
for larger surplus than is to be eX-
pected out of this years crop. If, to
our average annual export for the six
years, 1S92-97. we add a European
shortage of 100000 bushels, as fig
ured out by Broomhall, we get a to-
tai of 265, 373.s72 bushels. and in so
far as we fall short of supplying that
quantity, Europe, as compared with
an average crop must suffer a search
ty of her bread supply, except in so
far as she can avert it by drawing on
the stocks that may remain out of the
previous crops.
The worlds reserves however have
been reduced in consequence of the
short wheat crop of last year, and n
deficiency in some of the other i'm
portant food crops will not tend to
relieve the tension of the wheat mar