The Colorado statesman., 1912-09-07
CROPS ARE GREAT
win Be Bigger Than Last Year,
but Still Short.
Conclusions Drawn About Worlds Har-
vest Prospects From Reports Re-
ceived at the Department of As-
riculture - Estimates Gathered
From Almost Every Quarter.

Washington.-The season of year
has come when the department of
agriculture is getting a line upon the
growing crops of the world and draw
ing conclusions about harvest pros
poets, 1t affects the value OF crops
at home and also points with some &C
curacy TO the likelihood of prices for
foodstUffs six months hence.
The department estimates are gath
cred from almost every quarter of the
world, and include vast deal of Off
cial information. All in ali. it is more
reliable than the information which
comes from commercial sources, be-
cause of the evident interest of com
mercial authorities In influencing
prices. The information of the de-
partment of agriculture is compre.
hensive. 1t furnishes much about the
great food staple. wheat. but also
much about feed for animals. about
apples and divers fruits, barley and
hops. In which, brewers and malsters
are concerned, 8axseed; which is of
moment to the great paint industry.
and so on through long category.
The wheat harvest in Europe is now
beginning. 1t is plain that the yield
Is to be much better than last year.
Russia In later times is always an
uncertain factor as to wheat. The re-.
ports from that great domain are al
ways late. It.looks as though Rus
sia would raise zoo. 100000 bushels of
chat cereal this! season. which is above
the harvest Id Russia during 1909 and
1910 The Russian wheat crop, de-
pleted by severe drought In 1911.
amounted to hardly 500 100000 bush
els
Wheat conditions Ia central and
western Europe are not quite as good
Hs in 1911. and a wheat shortage of
about 60.0OO0OO bushels is expected
there; but even taking this into ac-
count. there is promise that the wheat
crop of all Europe this summer and
autumn will be between 100, 100000
and 150.000,000 bushels more than in
1911 ~ Il.
Field crops sHoh as oats and hay
and other cereals In which the Eu-
ropean yield for 1911 Was phenomenal
~ small. are much better this season,
T.
continuance of good prices, The first
cutting of hay In the European, coun-
tries bordering upon the Atlantic
ocean has been noticably short. This
will be felt the more beenly because
The surplus crop carried over was al.
most nothing.
The English wheat crop will be
smaiier than last year The French
wheat crop. although sown on 100000
more acres than ip 1911, will not ex-
eeed that years yield materially. The
great object of agriculture in France
Is to make the country self-sustain-
ting. but this will be the third year
when the French farmers, In spite OF
the high agricultural tariff for their
projection. will not raise all the food
stuffs the natipn will require. Imports
OF wheat into, France were 75,00O.0 900
bushels In 1910 and 125.0OO. 900 bushels
10 1911.
The Spanish wheat crop has been
seriously affected by drought this sum-
mer. and the product will be less than
In 1911. The Italian wheat crop Is
expected to show some shortage over
1911. In the Scandinavian countries
wheat. however. promising well. but
their crop is comparatively small.
Wheat shortages are reported from
Hungary and Roumania, but these will
affect the International market rather
than the consumption requirements at
home
Canada has become a mighty fac
tor in the raising of wheat to fur.
mish bread for the world The wheat
acreage in Canada has been increasing
by leaps and bounds in recent times,
and 1t is claimed that 3,750,0OO add.
tonai acres have been sown there dur
ing 1912.
Nowadays men who study the
world supply of food products are
constantly looking away to the south.
prn hemisphere. This is the begin
alng of winter in Argentina, but the
outlook for tremendous acreage of
wheat there is much emphasized.
More acres will be under wheat in
Argentina this year than ever, and
that is true also of naxseed and oats
In Australia the sowing has been re-
tlrded over a wide region by the lack
sf rain, and the drought will probably
result IN quite a reduction in the crop
Considerable, anxiety exists through
Gritish India as to wheat, because the
uonsoonB hdve not come with their
accustomed force.