Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-08-09

seale-is 11,737,5OO acres. comnared
with l1,741,000 acres harvested last
year. Seedtime last autumn ~
drought in three provinces be ex-
oepted, was for the m st part during
propltious weather, and by virtue Of
an exceptionally mild winter the
plants at the opening of spring were
IN general vigorous and healthy.
virtually the only complaint was of
animal and vegetable parasites. the
increase Of which had probably been
tostered by the moderate winter.
Belium
AS might be expected in a country
where intensive farming is widely
practlced, the areas under the prin-
cipal cereals ordinarily change little
from one year to another. or late
years, however, there has been a
slight tendency to diminish the cul-
t1Yation of rye in Belgium and TO ex-
pand that of wheat; but, as the
movement has not been rapid. the
premier crop still occupies upward
OF $4,000 acres annually. while
wheat has scarcely attained the
4VO'oOO-acre mark. The annual sur
race under oats, it may be noted,
closely approximates that of rye in
extent, and slightly less than 100 600
acres is annually sown to barley. Au-
tumn seeding for the 1912 harvest
was in general under favorable con-
ditions, and the areas sown to the
respective crops are reported to show
no important departure from normal.
Excepting during a spell of cold. dry
weather in late April and early May
vegetation has in general made good
progress and prospects for the com
ing harvest are encouraging.
Vegetation, seriously retarded in
growth by drought and low temper
ature in April throughout practically
the whole empire, was revivified by
the return of showery. springlike
weather in early May, and, in a re-
port relative to the crop situation
June /, the imperial statistical bu-
reau shows both winter rye and
wheat to promise better than at the
same date last year, rye however,
having suffered somewhat more
from the adverse conditions than did
wheat The dearth of moisture, oc-
curing as it did at a season when
moisture is most wanted. has left re-
grettable traces, Not in years have
the clover and alfalfa fields in June
presented so poor a prospect; feed
ing stuffs in general have to a GER
tain extent been irreparably injured;
barley and oats are said to have suf-
fered in some districts from frost;
and even if genial weather continues
until harvest, delay, it is felt, is al
most certain to ensue from the three
or four weeks of dry, cold weather in
the middle of spring Potatoes have
! had a by no means encouraging start
Austria
From autumn seedtime to the end
of March plant life, with some eX-
ceptions, was favored by nonrigorous
and humid weather, and on April |
the aspect of the fields of winter
wheat and especially of rye, was ex-
ceptionally promising. April in Aus
tria, as in many countries of Europe,
was in general cold and dry, and by
May / crop conditions had deterior
ated considerably. Subsequent
weather has caused improvement.
On June | wheat was in head and be-
ginning to bloom in the southern re-
gions; and, excepting some lodging
of rye and an excessive growth of
weeds in low-lying oats and barley
fields, prospects were better than at
the same date year ago. Wheat
and rye looked somewhat better than
in June last year, but barley and oats
are not so satisfactory.
The Hungarian ministry of agri-
culture, in its June 10 report on the
state of agriculture, gives the condi-
ton of wheat as good in AZ comitats
and medium in 20; rye, good in 80
comitats and medium in 27; barley,
excellent in comitats, good in 81,
medium in 20; oats, good in 10
comitats, medium in Al and poor IN
II. In the report of June % the pros
pective yield of wheat is put at 17S
million bushels against 175 million
last year. Wheat. rye, corn and po-
Itatoes have been sown on increased
areas, but barley and oats show de-
creases.
ROumania
The weather during the spring, ex-
cepting a cold spell in late April,