484 Weather and Crops in Europe in 1904. [nov., 



in which the state of the crops is regarded as unsatisfactory are, 

 proportionately, not very extensive. 



Millions of Cwt. 



1904. 1903. 



Winter Rye 389 432 



Winter Wheat 60 78 



Spring Wheat 160 1 75 



Barley ... 115 151 



Oats 219 202 



Although it is chiefly in Central and South-Western Europe 

 that the effects of the droughty season have been felt, it may be 

 mentioned that a deficiency of fodder is reported from Norway 

 and hay may now be imported into that country under certain 

 restrictions.* 



In the absence of reliable official data as to the production of 

 the crops, the probable influence of the drought on the imports 

 or exports of these various countries can only be surmised ; but 

 it may be useful to note the extent of the trade in maize in the 

 countries from which its export has been prohibited. In the 

 case of Austria- Hungary, in 1902 the importation for the whole 

 Empire was 679,000 qrs. and the exports 252,000 qrs. ; in the 

 three preceding years the imports were somewhat larger, and in 

 1897 and 1898 the imports were 1,062,000 qrs. and 3,036,000 qrs. 

 respectively, following on the poor harvest of 1897. From 

 Roumania the exports in 1901 and 1902 were about 5,000,000 qrs. ; 

 and from Servia 127,000 qrs. in 1902 and 285,000 qrs. in 1900. In 

 1898, however, Servia, as will presumably be the case this season, 

 became an importing country to the extent of 105,000 qrs. 



In conclusion, reference may be made to France, although 

 that country did not suffer so severely from the want of rain 

 as some other European countries. The final returns of the 

 wheat harvest, published by the French Ministry of Agriculture, 

 place the yield at a lower figure than any year since 1898. It 

 is estimated that a production of 287,439,496 bushels was 

 obtained from 16,148,601 acres as compared with a yield in 

 the preceding year from 16,002,458 acres of 353,060,208 bushels. 

 This is equal to a diminution of 1 8*5 per cent., or, com- 

 paring it with the decennial average yield of 314,380,535 

 bushels, a decline of 8J per cent. It must be remembered, 



* Journal, September, 1904, p. 348. 



