432 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



or au average of 4,770,410 qrs. per year. With an 

 average crop, therefore, we shall still want an imported 

 amount of nearly five million quarters; especially 

 when we take into account the loss of the potato crop, 

 which we fear is too well established to admit of a 

 doubt. The last three weeks, indeed, the disease has 

 assumed a virulence equal in destructiveness to that of 

 the worst period of its prevalence ; and this extends 

 not only to every part of the United Kingdom, but to 

 France, and a considerable part of the European conti- 

 nent. In France, the alarm created by it has led the 

 Government of that country to prohibit the export of 

 grain until September, 1858. The extent, indeed, to 

 which that root is cultivated there (from 2| to 3 mil- 

 lion acres), renders the loss a serious national calamity, 

 as it forms the chief food of the peasantry — as was the 

 case in Ireland previous to the famine. Notwith- 

 standing, therefore, that the crop of wheat in France 

 is above an average, the loss of the potato, and a defi- 

 cient crop of maize, will prevent our receiving that 

 supply from thence which we had calculated on. 



In the Baltic provinces the harvest has been excel- 

 lent both in quantity and quality. We have seen a sam- 

 ple of new Danzig wheat, for instance, which was said 

 to weigh 661bs. per bushel — an unprecedented weight 

 for that description of imported grain. From Northern 

 Russia we may expect a large supply in the spring, when 

 the frost breaks up, the winter setting in too soon in that 

 country to admit of any quantity being brought down 

 the rivers in the autuma. The importations from, 

 thence last year were larger than usual ; but the reason 

 for this was, that there was a three-years' accumula- 

 tion of grain at all the depots, in consequence of the 

 war, none having been exported in 1855, and only 

 about 21,000 qrs. in 1854. It is not probable we shall 

 obtain more than from 120,000 to 150,000 qrs. from 

 thence this season. 



From none of the German states did we import the 

 usual quantity of wheat last year. Taking Denmark 

 and the Duchies, Prussia, the Hanse Towns, and other 

 parts of Germany, the average of six years from 1851 

 to 1856, inclusive, was 1,202,060 qrs. per year; but 

 last year the imports from those countries amounted 

 altogether to only 647,244 qrs., being little more than 

 half the average quantity, and less than half those of 

 the three previous years. If the failure of the potato 

 crop extends to those countries, it is probable we sliall 

 not have more than, if so much as, a million qrs. from 

 thence in the seasonal year, namely, from the 1st of 

 October, 1857, to the 30th of September, 1858. 



From France, Holland, and Belgium we shall import 

 no native produce. Spain may send us a little ; but 

 her stocks were too much exhausted before the late 

 harvest to admit of a large export trade. Egypt will 

 send us about 500,000 qrs., Turkey proper 150,000 qrs., 

 Wallachia and Moldavia about 150,000 qrs., and the 

 Italian states, with Sicily, possibly as much more, their 

 harvest having been an abundant one. 



From Southern Russia we have received, the last 

 three years, not more than one-third of the average 

 quantity, in consequence of the quantity consumed and 



destroyed during the Crimean campaign. Trade, how- 

 ever, is getting into its regular channel in that coun- 

 try, and we shall probably import from all the Russian 

 ports of the Elack Sea 700,000 qrs. 



We next come to the United States and British 

 North America, to which quarter we must look for the 

 largest sectional supply. We place these two together, 

 because so large a proportion of the wheat and flour 

 shipped at New York is the produce of Canada West, 

 sent by way of the Erie Canal and the Hudson, as 

 renders it impossible to ascertain the real amount of 

 States produce we receive. Taking the same period of 

 six years, the average imports of wheat and flour from 

 the American continent amount to 1,345,611 qrs. per 

 year, that for the year 1856 being 2,304,293 qrs.— the 

 largest quantity we ever received from thence. It ap- 

 pears from the reports from the States, that the wheat 

 harvest, both there and in Canada, has been very 

 abundant, and that a large breadth of new land has 

 been broken up in the western states, and sown with 

 wheat. Under ordinary circumstances, therefore, we 

 might expect as much wheat and flour from the Ame- 

 rican continent as we received last year. But it ap- 

 pears they had completely exhausted their stocks of 

 old wheat before the harvest; and such is the state of 

 credit throughout the Union, in consequence of the 

 monetary panic under which it is now suffering, that 

 it is impossible to say what may be the effect upon the 

 grain trade, most of the merchants at Chicago and 

 other shipping ports having been compelled to stop 

 payment. If, therefore, we estimate the supply of 

 wheat and flour from Canada and the States at 

 1,500,000 qrs., we think we shall have fixed the maxi- 

 mum of imports from thence. 



The following is the summary of imports, as esti- 

 mated in the foi'egoing statement : Qrs. 



Northern Russia, say - 135,000 



Denmark & the Duchies, Prussia, the 

 Hanse Towns, and other parts of 

 Germany 



France, Holland, and Belgium 



Spain, say 



Italian States and Sicily 



Turkey proper 



Egypt 



Wallachia and Moldavia 



Southern Ihissia 



United States and Canada. 1,500,000 



Other countries 265,000 



1,000,000 



50,000 

 150,000 

 150,000 

 500,000 

 150,000 

 700,000 



Total 4,600,000 



With respect to the probable range of prices during 

 the ensuing season, we do not apprehend that we shall 

 have a much lower range than the present one. Taking 

 into account the partial loss of the potato crop, the 

 full employment of the manufacturing operatives, and, 

 above all, the continued influx of gold from California 

 and Australia, the consumption of bread corn will be 

 larger than was ever known. It is probable that after 

 wheat sowing a considerable' quantity of wheat will be 

 brought to market ; but we apprehend that a demand 

 for good wheat will come from the North of England, 

 that will take off any surplus that may be brought 



