246 



Crop Prospects Abroad. 



[JULY, 



of Pskoff, Kaluga, Moscow, Smolensk, Tver, Chernigoff, Vitebsk, Minsk, Mohileff 

 Volhynia, Kieff, Podolia, Cherson and Bessarabia. The conditions were specially 

 unfavourable in the two latter provinces, where extreme drought prevailed. Forty- 

 three per cent, of the winter crops are reported to be satisfactory and 18 per cent. good. 



Summer sowing was late this year and in many parts had scarcely begun at the 

 end of May, so that the growth over about half of the area sown is as yet too slight 

 to admit of prophecy, but the crop can scarcely be a heavy one. Of the remainder, 

 11 per cent, are reported to be good, 33 per cent, satisfactory, and 12 per cent, below 

 the average. 



Germany. — The official report on the crops in the middle of June shows an 

 improved condition generally compared with the previous month. The numerical 

 standard is as follows : — winter wheat, 2*9 ; spring wheat, 2*4 ; winter rye, 27 ; 

 spring rye, barley and oats, 2'3 ; potatoes, 2'5 (1 = very good, 2 = good, 3 = average 

 or medium, 4 small and 5 very small). 



Hungary. — According to the report of the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture on 

 the state of the crops in the middle of June, the production of wheat is estimated at 

 about 62,500,000 cwts., as against 102,300,000 cwts. last year, the production of rye 

 at 19,960,000 cwts., against 27,600,000 cwts., and of barley, 24,970,000 cwts., 

 against 28,800.000 cwts. The condition of the maize plants, of potatoes, hops and 

 sugar-beet is on the whole satisfactory. 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Department of Agriculture 

 states that preliminary returns of the acreage of spring wheat on June 1st indicate an area 

 of about 16,464,000 acres, a decrease of 1,242,000 acres, or 7 per cent., as compared 

 with the final estimate of the acreage sown last year. The average condition was 

 887, as compared with 93*4 on June 1st last year. 



The average condition of winter wheat on June 1st was 77 "4, as compared with 

 827 on the corresponding date last year, and with a ten-year average of 81 * I. The 

 total area reported under oats is about 31,491,000 acres, an increase of 532,000 acres, 

 as compared with the final estimate of the area sown last year. The average 

 condition was 81 *6, against 85*9 in 1906. The acreage under barley is less than that 

 finally estimated as sown last year by about 171,000 acres, the condition being 84*9, 

 against 93*5 in 1906. 



France. — According to the official report on the crops on May 15th (issued in the 

 Journal Officiel, June 1 5th), the area sown is as follows. The figures for the same 

 date in 1906 are given for comparison : — 





1907. 



1906. 





Acres. 



Acres. 



Winter wheat ... 



15,684,534 



15,539,155 



Spring wheat ... 



435.275 



495,434 



Rye 



3,084,047 



3,079,820 



Oats 



9,496,162 



9,493,778 



Barley ... 



1,777,758 



1,762,367 



In the case of winter wheat the condition of-the crops is stated to be good on an 

 area of 9,092,000 acres, fairly good on 5,869,000 acres, and passable on 724,000 acres. 



