332 



Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. [July, 



is reported that the hay crop is much under the average and much 

 damaged by wet weather, but wheat is a good crop and coming into 

 ear well. Roots are promising, and potatoes are turning out well. 

 Without plenty of sunshine in July harvest is likely to be backward. 

 Fruit of all kinds appears likely to be plentiful. 



In Midlothian on July ist the hoeing of turnips and earthing up of 

 potatoes 'were being pushed forward. Potatoes are reported to be a 

 capital crop, and free from disease. Both young and old rooks are said 

 to be troublesome among potatoes, to which they cause damage by 

 uprooting the tubers, which they reach by digging with their bills from 

 the top of the ridges downwards. Oats and wheat are very satisfactory. 

 Hay cutting had commenced on July ist, and there appeared to be a 

 splendid crop, particularly in districts in the vicinity of the coast. Where 

 there is good deep soil and management has been good, the crop is long 

 and heavy. Some four miles inland on the lighter soils the crop is 

 light generally. There is likely to be a capital fruit crop. Cherries 

 are a heavy crop, while gooseberries, strawberries, and red and black 

 currants are a good deal above the average, and of fine size. 



Germany. — The report of the Imperial Statistical Bureau on the state 

 of the crops in the middle of June gives the condition of cereals as 

 follows : — Winter wheat, 3*0; spring wheat, 

 Notes on Crop 27 ; winter rye, 2*8 ; spring rye, 2*5 ; barley, 



Prospects Abroad. 2-5; oats, 2'6; and potatoes, 2'6 (i = very good, 

 2 = good, 3 = medium (average), 4 = small). 



Winter wheat is somewhat thin, and in part very weedy, while winter 

 rye is thin and rather short in the straw. Especially early sown rye 

 was in good condition and was partly in bloom. Despite the fact that 

 summer grains were much retarded at the time of germination, their 

 position at the middle of June was on the whole satisfactory, and they 

 are expected to improve. Wheat, winter rye, and barley, however, were 

 in a worse position than the average of the last ten years. 



Potatoes were somewhat irregular and suffered here and there from 

 night frosts, but are on the whole not unsatisfactory. In the South 

 German States the potato crop is quite satisfactory. 



Hungary. — According to the Report issued by the Hungarian Ministry 

 of Agriculture in the middle of June, the weather in the first half of 

 June was quite abnormal, and the heavy rains, followed by winds, were 

 not favourable to the early growth of crops. The later rain, however, 

 much improved the summer grains, especially wheat, which was good 

 in the south, but in general poor compared with average years. Rust 

 occurs sporadically. Winter wheat was generally poor, stained, and 

 patchy, and it has been necessary to plough up a good deal. Rye, 

 which had already begun to ripen, promised an average harvest. Of 

 spring cereals, barley and oats were doing well. Owing to the fact 

 that much of the winter cereal crop was bad and ploughed up, the area 

 devoted to barley has much increased. In the case of maize the later 

 rains made up for the earlier damage, and the maize crop was growing 

 well. 



