1910.] Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. 



many of the oficinas (nitrate works) find it impossible to produce profit- 

 ably at the present low prices obtained for nitrate. 



During the year 1908 the average price of nitrate for 95 per cent, 

 f.o.b. was ys. 6^d. per quintal of 110 lb., and the total export from 

 Iquique was 12,879,201 quintals as compared with 11,382,649 quintals 

 exported in 1907 at an average price of 8s. J^d. per quintal. 



The first week of December was marked by very rough and unsettled 

 weather, rain falling daily over a large part of the kingdom, and towards 

 the end of the week some hail and snow. 

 Notes on the Weather Warmth was "unusual" in England E. and 

 in December. the midlands, but was "deficient" in Scotland 



W. Rainfall was "heavy" or "very heavy" 

 everywhere, and sunshine, as a rule, " scanty." 



The weather continued with little change during the second week ; 

 warmth was "deficient" throughout the kingdom, except in England E. 

 and the Midlands, while rainfall, except in Ireland, was "heavy." 

 Sunshine was "abundant" in England E. and S.E. ("very abundant" 

 in Scotland E.). 



During the early days of the third week, the conditions were dry and 

 quiet, but rainfall exceeded the normal in England E., S.E., and the 

 Midlands. In the two first-named districts, it was "heavy." Sunshine 

 was " scanty " (England E. "very scanty ") in the Eastern section of the 

 kingdom, except in Scotland E. 



Unsettled conditions prevailed again in the fourth week, and heavy 

 falls of rain fell in the south, and severe snowstorms occurred further 

 north. The record was "heavy" in England S.E. and S.W., and "very 

 heavy" in other parts of the kingdom. Sunshine, however, was "very 

 abundant" everywhere except in Scotland W., where it was "abundant." 



Argentina. — According to Dombusch (14th 

 Notes on Crop and 3Ist December ) the estimate of the Depart- 

 Prospects Abroad. ment of Agriculture of the area and pro d U ction 

 of crops this year is as follows : — 



Acres. Acres. Tons. 



1908-9. 1909-10. 1909-10. 



Wheat 16,327,091 14,416,279 4,279,000 



Linseed ... ... 3,789,721 3>595>33 2 895,000 



Oats 1,564,251 1,414,322 633,000 



Mr. Townley, the British Minister at Buenos Aires, writing on 

 November 30th, states that wheat harvesting had already begun in the 

 North, and with fine weather would proceed rapidly. Some damage 

 had been done by locusts to the crops in the Provinces of Santa Fe and 

 Entre Rios, but in the Province of Buenos Aires the prospects are 

 extremely good. The maize crop has been less adversely affected than 

 the other crops by the heavy rains which occurred in November, and 

 it is estimated that the total area sown exceeds that of last year, and a 

 much larger crop may be expected. 



Russian Harvest of 1909.— Mr. A. W. Woodhouse, British Consul of 

 St. Petersburg, has forwarded the following final figures published by 

 the Central Statistical Committee of the harvest of 1909 in the 73 prov- 



