472 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



will affect general prices only in proportion as the general supply is 

 drawn upon for relief. Now, there are districts in Russia in which, 

 because of remoteness from lines of transportation or poverty which 

 prevents its people from buying sufficient food, after bad harvests, 

 scarcity exists unrelieved. Even though their rye crop was 166 

 million bushels short in 1889 and their crop of wheat 121 million 

 bushels less, Russia exported in that year only 20 million bushels less 

 of wheat than they had in the year following the abundant crop of 

 1888. The peasants were too poor to substitute this export wheat 

 for their accustomed diet of rye bread. It may be added that the 

 potato crop of 1889 was almost universally good, being about one- 

 seventh greater than that of 1888. 



In the following year, the potato crop fell off 300 million bushels 

 (10 per cent) and the wheat crop increased 37 million bushels and rye 

 130 million. However, the export of both the latter rose by only 

 4 million bushels. The Russian peasant had a more abundant supply 

 of black bread, but the white-bread countries did not get their wheat 

 at a lower price. The effective supply at the centers of exchange 

 was really smaller in 1890-91 than in 1889-90, notwithstanding that 

 the wheat and rye crops of these years stood to each other in just the 

 opposite relation. 



149. MISCELLANEOUS FACTORS OF DEMAND 1 



In the last six months (March, 1916) New York state dried-apple 

 interests have lost approximately $200,000, owing, for the most part, 

 to the embargo placed on all foodstuffs formerly shipped to Germany. 

 When we consider that before the war Germany bought two-thirds of 

 all the evaporated apples packed in this country, the seriousness of 

 the situation is apparent. 



Monday's prices on California oranges were lower on all sizes and 

 grades of fruit, decline on best stock amounting to fully 10 @ 15 cents 

 per box and 15 @ 25 cents per box on other grades. This was accounted 

 for by the extremely cold weather, which practically stopped the move- 

 ment of fruit. This condition prevailed up till Thursday's sale, when 

 the demand improved considerably and good stock showed an advance 

 of 10 cents per box. 



1 Clipped from various newspapers. 



