12 



FOREIGN CEOPS, MAY- JUNE, 1912. 



GERMANY. 



Vegetation, seriously retarded in growth by drought and low 

 temperature in April throughout practically the whole Empire, was 

 revivified by the return of showery, springlike weather in early 

 May, and, in a report relative to the crop situation June 1, the 

 Imperial Statistical Bureau 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, occurring as it did at a season when mois- 

 ture is mo.st wanted, has left regrettable traces. Not in years have 

 the clover and alfalfa fields in June presented so poor a prospect; 

 feeding stuffs in general have to a certain extent been irreparably 

 injured; barley and oats are said to have suffered in some districts 

 from frost; and even if genial weather continues until harvest, 

 delay, it is felt, is almost 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. 



The areas abandoned from various causes have been quite exten- 

 sive, especially in the case of clover, alfalfa, and winter wheat. Of 

 the clover acreage, which usually amounts to about 5,000,000 acres 

 annually, 13.7 per cent was turned under, compared with 3.9 last 

 year, and of lucern 2.8 per cent, compared with 3.9. The aban- 

 donment of winter wheat was 4.1 per cent of the area sown and 

 of winter rye 0.1 per cent; last year's abandonment of these cereals 

 was, respectively, 2.9 and 2.3 per cent. Winter rye usually covers 

 about 15,000,000 acres and winter wheat about four and one-fourth 

 millions. The Imperial Statistical Bureau's report on the condition 

 of specified crops on June 1 and May 1. 1912, contrasted with those 

 on June 1 in preceding years, is subjoined. 



Conditions of crops in Germany. 



Notwithstanding the fact that wheat culture in Germany is in- 

 creasing, the demand for foreign wheat, especially from Eussia and 

 Argentina, remains at a high level, as may be seen from statistics of 



