The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-22
GERMAN BREADSTUFFS DEFICIT
Not More Than Half n Crop of Wheat
Expected This Year.


Frank II. Mason. the United States
Consul Genesal at Berlin writes to the
State Department that the impending de
felt in breadstuffs in Germany has grown
more oninous with the advancing season
until it is now recognized as inevitable
that the cereal haTveSts of 1901 in Prussia
viii show the largest and most disastrous
deficit that has been recorded in recent
years.
As a measure and indication Of the i'm
pending disaster Mr.. Mason says. there
has been addressed to Chancellor Count
Won BuIow, as Minister President Of
Prussia. and to his colleagues the PTUs-
sian Ministers of Finance, Agriculture,
and the Interior, a memorial calling the
attention of the Royal Government TO the
threatened calamity which Ovcrhangs the
agricultural population, and urging that
the Government adopt and set in motion
certain prescribed measures of relief This
remarkable document is signed by Count
Won Schwerin-Lowitz President of the
LaRdesokOnomie COuegium, a permanent
commission which serves as an advisory
committee on agricultural subjects to the
Prussian Government The memorial has
therefore, both in respect to its origin
and the ministry to which it is addressed
the highest official authority. and has pro-
dUced profound impression throughout
Germany
1t appears from this statement that the
present outlook for the Prussiau wheat
and rye crops is much more gloomy and
OminOus than was indicated by the earlier
reports Not less than ,S13 acres. or
z6-9 per cent, of the winter wheat fields
have been plowed up and planted to
spring crops, while the remaining B per
cent was reported on May 10 at an aver
age status OF IS, OF nearly /. which under
the German system of crop notation
means a very short crop Never before
since 1898 have any considerable portions
Of Prussian wheat fields stood at so low
a figure at the middle of May, and when
1t IS remembered that this now stands for
only half the normal winter wheat area
the remainder being wholly Iost-the ex-
tent Of the disaster will be apparent
From the most careful estimates that
can now be made the winter-wheat crop
Of Prussia, which was 22i5.515 metric
tons in 1855, will this year not exceed
1,192Gj0 tons. leaving q deficit Of 1O53, SIS
tons. which, as the memorial points out.
would cost. at $fI65 per ten, S49G. 80. $50 TO
replace with imported grain
Besides this no less than sos 90 f1ec-
tareS, or lib per cent. of the whO.e area
Of PrUssian rye fields has been winter
killed and plowed up. From careful re-
ports Of the remaining SS.7 per cent, the
rye crop OF this year VIII reach. at most
5.6s1-0j5 tons, a deficit Of 7I31zI tons as
compared with the crop of 1850. an aver
age year Reckoning the mean price Of
rye at S2i.5I per ton, here viii be
further loss Of S34,514 900 to replace There
viii be, Notwithstanding to the me-
mortal Of the CommiSsion-a deficit in
Prussia alone Of L755. $50 tons Of bread
producing cereals. valued, at the average
prices Of last year, at $57 2f5. SEQ
The fun force Of these statistics Is
more apparent when the survey is ex-
tended to the whole Of Germany. The
entire wheat crop If the German Empire
N 1850 was 3,S41, 155 metric tons and Of
rye S55e,659 tons, total Of ]. 39I 81 tons
Of grain which could be used for bread.
Besides this homegrown supply. there
was imported. in excess Of exports. g7S.-
sIi tons OF wheat and S172a2 tons Of rye
a total net import of 1,s16025 tons. giving
an aggregate consumption Of I42y7.s59
tons Of the TWO principal bread-producing
cereals Statistics are not Yet at hand
from which to estimate closely what the
wheat and rye crops Of this year in
SaXoHy. Bavaria, Wurttemberg. Baden.
and AlsaCe-LOrraine viii yield From all
accounts. they viii be better than those
Of Prussia, but still quite below the
stndard Of an average year, so that the
requirements Of the German EnDire In
respect 10 f0reign-grovyn breadstuffs will
far exceed those OF any recent year.
But, as the memorial points out with
Characteristic agrarian bitterness. this
uhtoWard prospect in Germany has had
thus far only a slight effect upon the
worlds wheat market, for the reason that
the United States has q 2G7, Ge0 acres Of
growing wheat. which at the estimated
yield Of fifteen bushels per acre viii give
surplus that viii Eli the German dsfoi+
and maintain the general wheat market
on an even keel.
The memorial then proceed. TO esfi-
mate the additional losses in straw clio
Yer, and lucerne-which two latter cro1s
have suffered almost as seriously as
wheat and rye from the long. severe.
snowIess winteT-and, from the stand
point Of the ominous situation thus pic
tured, petitions the Prussian Government
to adopt and carry out the following
measures for the relief of the agricultural
population:
First-To grant an immediate and lib
eTal appropria ton OF money, to be dis
tributed through the agricultural socie-
t--7 ~ Sliieiil 484 HitIS lot the purchase Of
seed grains. forage. straw. and other nee
essaTy supplies which have been cut off
by the disastrous winter
Sec0nd-To provide for loans of mon
ey, TO be offered TO farmers at a low rate
Of interest and long terms Of repayment
through the central and local savings
banks
''Third-A general and liberal reduction
Of railway freight rates on forage. fertiI-
izers, seed grains straw and other litter.
fuel, and other articles used by agricuI-
turists
Fourth Reduction Of railway freight
rates on domestic animals.
''Fffth-Perrliss5ion to gather from
State forests and lands wild grass. leaves.
etc, that can be used as forage or bed
ding for animals
Sivth-Postponement Of agricultural
rents and ditehing and diking taxes and
obligations for the year 1851
'SeVenth-To require all grain and pro-
duCe dealers to purchase large supplies Of
oats during the remainder of the current
year
'Eigh:h-I.ibe-aI distribution Of rye and
bran by produce dealers at net cost prices
TO needy agriculturists
Minister President Won Ruelow has
called a special meeting OF the members
Of the Prussian Bundesrath-not including
those from the Hanseatic cities. Ham
ests he viii himself represent-and this
sfSSeTnbIfye has now under considered i8r,