Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-12-28

lions from the United States, CANADA,
British Indies, Algeria and Australia,
If applied to the needs Of France, Eng
land and Italy, would give those coun-
tries within 5000. 600 bushels Of their
average consumption in peace times.
The QuSea ei tonnage, Of bottoms
in which - nip the grain, rs the most
SERIOUS psuaas4 for the allies, btt
without 09tssiss into the suhma1i
question, IN, Eaaaliish aaaAaorities have
figured With the tonnage now being
turned out by the United States and
the shipyards Of England working I'M
der government supervision, they can
maintain daily sailing average Of 49,
1888 tons, the amount necessary to
transport the wheat required.
Barley Crop Is Large.
In his official report to the govern.
ment, the president Of the agricultural
commission has stated that the barley,
crop in France is one Of the largest in
years, while great quantities Of this
cereal are also available from the
French colonies in Africa. The rye
crop has also been a bumper one, while
the buckwheat yield in the northern
provinces surpasses that of last year.
Despite the long and cold winter, the
winter wheat throughout the republic
has given an excellent yield. Instead
Of being frozen it was protected by the
snow from the cold. The oat crop,
from the latest official figures, has sur
passed that Of last year, while the
statistics give the barley crop as &C.
tually 1895 per cent better than the
preceding - months.
In the Germigny valley, one of the
most important cattle centers. for ex-
ample, the herds show an increase of
25 per cent over last year. During
1916 the l>rd counted 10000 calves out
of $4,000 head of cows, and 10000
steers. This year there are 25,152
calves. These conditions prevail all
over France. The best proof is the
latest shipments arriving in the mar
ket places of Paris. Beef fell from 50
to 81 the hundredweight, depending on
the animal, while veal took drop Of
So the hundredweight.
In the famous potato district of In
Grouse hopes are held out that the
yield this year will be considerably In
excess of last years. In 1916 LII
Grouse alone shipped 100000 bushels
of potatoes. Because Of the tripling
in price of the tubers, $4,000 acres in
the vicinity of Guerct have been given
over to this precious article of food,
and the minister of food has already
begun to arrange for cars to transport
the crop. The food ministry also intro
duced a new law making speculation
in potatoes, wheat and other. necessi-
ties crime punishable by fine, impris-
onment and the conf1scation of what
ever supplies the offender may have
dealt in.
Apples In Abundance.
In order to encourage the preserv-
ing and drying of fruits, particularly
Of apples, which are in such abundance
they fetch only 81 barrel in Nor
mandy, the government has announced
it will requisition all alcoholic liquors
made from the fruits. The same rains
that have aided the fruits have also
caused an abundance of forage for the
cattle, increasing the supply of milk.
which in turn has been made into but
ter and cheese. Because Of the enor-
nous quantities Of green vegetables,
however, the combination farmers &C
tually find their products in competi-
ton with each other in the markets,
the green stuffs and fruits forcing
down the prices of their cheeses.
Merely as a preventive measure tho
government has ordered the establish
ment of a milk card for the ensuing
winter and has decreed that no milk
may be sold with tea, coffee or chOcO-
late after nine o'clock in the morning,
beginning on October 1. Precaution is
taken at a time when the arrival Of
milk in Paris is far beyond the normal
and when no actual shortage is looked
for but the difficulty in transport when
the winter SHOWS come, it is feared,
will interrupt the distribution.
Even fish, the price of which went
soaring last winter, both for fresh and
dried varieties, has gone down because
of the enormous catch, great part Of
which is being picked, preserved and
sailed for the coming winter. In one
day the quantity of fish arriving at the
Paris central markets alone was 1885,
600 pounds.
An adequate supply of coffee is as
sured the nation, which takes coffee
with each of it's three meals. On Au-
gust 81 there were warehoused in
Havre 19SO,575 sacks of coffee, enough
to last the whole of France for IL
months without importing another
bean.
Precautionary measures have also
caused the food minister to order that
all stocks Of macaroni, spaghetti and
pastes be declared. This has been done
simply to check the speculation in this
food product, of which no one has the
right to possess over 20 pounds unless
engaged in its handling either as a
bona fide dealer in food imports or
grocer.
Ee4nea Made Sunar