The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-18
THE WHEAT CROP OF INDIA.
1 Tremendous Decrease in Exporta-
lions for the Past Year.

Writing about the wheat crop of India.
R F Patterson. the United States Consul
General at Calcutta. in communication
to the State Department. says:
Wheat in India is most largely grown
in the Puujab and the Northwestern
Provinces. the area sown there in the
present season being two-thirds of the
Whole. Until the end of January the pros
poets of the wheat crop were Of the
brightest. but the winter rains and the
continued cold and cloudy weather
through February and March seriously
damaged the crop, which was further in
jured by rusts. insects, and hail in March
Still. even under these adverse conditions.
the yield is considerably in excess Of the
deCenniaI average. being as much as 10
per cent greater in the Punjab and 2S
per cent greater in the Northwestern
Provinces, and. together with Bengal, rep
reseuting a supply Of about 1000 tons;
the decenniaI average having been 1856,
000 tons In the other provinces. condi-
lions have been far less favorable; the
monsoon rain was scanty. and at sowing
time the land was so dry that in many
places the crop was a complete failure.
The yield for India generally IS estimat-
ed at about 6.5S0. 900 tons which is about
S1z per cent more than the decenniaI aver
age.
The following figures give the expor-
tatiOn Of wheat from India:
1855 SEQ 246 TONS 1851. 95.528 tons
1SgT-9S. rs. $50 tons; 1883 9a6.G25 tons:
IS99-19a0. .20t tons I9oo-1901, 2,501 tons
AS the yield Is considerably above the
last decenniaI average, the export this
year viii probably be greatly increased
and may reach from 10 go 10 15,o)j. 900
bushels
Consul Fee. Of Bombay, June :, 1901,
says that the final estimate OF the crop
for the current year IS $3.50. go0 tons. or
5000 tons more than in the previous
year. The ton used is the English long
ton Of Z.2lo pounds. The estimated AREA
of the acreage under wheat for the year is
22.500.G10 acres, being about 5.G)1.0G1 acres
more than the previous year. and about
10000 acres less than the general aver
age for the preceding ten years There
are two wheaU-Erowius seasons in India
The 'kharif' or autumn crop, is sowei
in June, or just before the rains of the
monsoon. The rabbi OF spring crop. is
planted in October or November. gets It's
start from the moisture held in the soil
from the monsoon, and is nourished either
by irrigation Gr by winter rains. The crop
{ is generally harvested in February it is
much the larger OF the Two crops. both
in acreage and yield. and the grain is
( superior.
From the consulate general at St Pet
ersburg the State Department is advised
that there are good reasons to hope that
the wheat harvest Of 1914 VIII be better
than that of 1870 The spring has been
favorsb bic the coHsUI general says The
neayy rains during May, which were gen
( eral in all parts Of the Empire. are be
! I-eved to have been sufficient to secure a
regular growth OF the crop. As q whole,
/ the spring wheat il more promising than
{ the winter crop, which has suffered heav-
+ liz in some provinces from the absence
Of snow during the winter. in others, from
drought. while the greater part IN the us
/ tula region was killed by frost The loss
however. ia the winter crop will be bal
aHCed by the amount Of spring wheat
SaErn