682 



Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. 



[NOV., 



cereals, so that the yield was only fairly good, and the quality inferior. 

 As regards potatoes, the results were good in most provinces, with the 

 exception of North Holland, where the crop was unsatisfactory, while in 

 Limhurg it was very good. The quality was better than was expected. 

 The potato crop for factory purposes was satisfactory. Hay was a 

 failure in low-lying country owing to excessive rain, but on the higher 

 grounds the results were good ; to a certain extent the second crop 

 compensated for the first. 



Hops in Germany. — The report of the Imperial Statistical Bureau, 

 published in the Reichsanzeiger of October 13th, 1909, gives the esti- 

 mated area and production of hops in Germany in 1909 as compared 

 with earlier years : — 



Acres. Yield (cwts.). 



1909 ... 71,541 119,221 



1908 ... 88,587 518,326 



1907 ••• ••• 94,594 475>358 



1906 95>987 414,023 



1905 97,592 575,770 



The estimated yield in the past year was very low, and only amounted 

 on the average to 1/7 cwt. per acre, as compared with 5*8 cwt. in 1908. 



Warsaw Hop Fair. — H.M. Consul at Warsaw (Mr. C. Clive Bayley) 

 reports that at the annual hop fair at Warsaw in October 535,000 lb. 

 of hops was offered for sale, as compared with 441,000 lb. in 1908. 

 The sales were 334,000 lb., compared with 262,000 lb. in the previous 

 year. Owing to a long spell of fine weather and an early harvest, 

 which permitted of careful picking and sorting, general quality was 

 much higher than usual, and a larger quantity reached the market. 

 There is every likelihood that the quantity remaining unsold at this 

 year's fair will be quickly disposed of, while in the case of last year's 

 crop some 45,000 lb. was still on hand at the commencement of this 

 year's fair. Prices were from 2\ to 3 times as high as in 1908, 

 as much as 2s. per lb. being obtained for the extra fine, and from 

 15. $d. to is. 8d. for first quality. 



Argentina. — H.M. Minister at Buenos Ayres, in a memorandum 

 written at the beginning of October, states that the drought which 

 had afflicted the south and west of the province of Buenos Ayres for 

 the previous eight months was brought to a conclusion by heavy rains 

 early in September. In Cordoba and Santa Fe the wheat and linseed 

 prospects were good, and even in the most afflicted parts of the country 

 official estimates still hoped that the harvest would not be less produc- 

 tive than that of last yean The rain came too late to benefit the 

 pastoral industry, which could only be described as being in a very 

 bad condition. The mortality among sheep from drought is estimatedj 

 at over a million, while the wool clip is likely to be one of the smallest; 

 recorded. 



In another despatch, dated September 30th, Mr. Townley observes,! 

 " Reoorts are somewhat conflicting as to the possibilities of the future 

 harvest, but on the whole I am of opinion that, owing to the drought 

 and other causes, a crop considerably below the average may be 

 anticipated, whilst the locust plague threatens to be more disastrous 

 than usual." 



