1904.] Weather and Crops in Europe in 1904. 479 



the ground floor, or, if it is to be warehoused, it is run through 

 a sort of gutter to a trolley, by which it is taken to the scales, 

 which register automatically the weight of each truck-load on 

 a ticket, and then to an elevator-hopper, whence the grain is 

 discharged into its proper silo. Altogether there are four ele- 

 vators, two for cleaning and two for discharging into the silos. 

 The warehouse has in its fifteen silos 740 cubic metres of space, 

 equal to about 9,000 cwt. of corn, or 46 wagon-loads. The silos 

 are about 36 ft. high, and have a spout or shoot at the bottom, 

 by which they can be emptied in a very short time. For the 

 purpose of despatching grain by railway, the corn is loaded in 

 sacks from an opening on the ground floor on to the railway 

 waggons on the siding. The warehouse also contains room for 

 storage of manures and feeding-stuffs, which the society 

 purchases wholesale for disposal to its members. 



WEATHER AND CROPS IN EUROPE IN 1904. 



During the past summer, the Central and South-Eastern 

 countries of Europe suffered in a marked degree from drought 

 and extreme heat, and the crops, particularly maize, roots, 

 potatoes, late hay and fodder crops, have in consequence been 

 more or less injured, though it is probable that in the case of 

 the cereal crops there may be some compensation in the 

 improved quality of the grain. 



In Germany, according to the Reports of the Imperial 

 Statistical Bureau, the weather was unusually hot from about 

 the middle of June, and the absence of rain in all parts of 

 the Empire exercised an unfavourable influence on the cereal, 

 and more especially on the fodder, crops. During the second 

 half of June there were occasional showers which brought some 

 relief to the crops, but from the commencement of July the 

 dryness became general, accompanied by an almost tropical 

 heat. The drought and heat continued undiminished until 

 about the second week of August. Brooks and streams dried 

 up, navigation on some of the canals and rivers was almost 

 wholly suspended, and in many districts the water supplies 

 failed ; in some places the dryness continued into September. 



