352 Notes on Foreign Crop Prospects, [sept., 



very satisfactory. Towards the end of that month, however, 

 some damage was done to outstanding barley and wheat by 

 frequent heavy rains, quality being chiefly affected. 



The Russian Official Messenger of August 30th states that a 

 failure of the autumn and spring crops in the SaratofT, Tamboff, 

 Tula, and several other provinces is now substantiated, while 

 unsatisfactory returns of the rye crops come from a number 

 of other provinces. The Governments most seriously affected 

 appear to be SaratofT, Riazan, Tula, Orel, and Tamboff, where 

 grain stores are being organised, and about three-quarters of a 

 million pounds sterling has had to be assigned from the general 

 alimentary capital of the Empire in the shape of loans to the 

 destitute population in certain provinces. The purchase and 

 distribution of seed corn is being carried out, and hence the 

 autumn sowing may be held to be assured. 



According to the preliminary estimate of the Central Sta- 

 tistical Bureau, quoted by Dornbusch, the probable total yields 

 of the winter and spring crops in the seventy-two Governments 

 of the Empire are as follows: — Winter wheat, 195,000,000 

 bushels ; spring wheat, 338,400,000 bushels ; winter rye, 

 610,200,000 bushels; spring rye, 13,800,000 bushels; barley,. 

 272,880,000 bushels ; and maize, 46,200,000 bushels. 



Norway. — The Consul-General for Christiania reports that 

 in the district of South Trondhjem the corn crops are likely 

 to be somewhat above the average. Wheat, barley, and rye 

 promise good results in the district of Bratsberg, but the oat 

 crop has failed on account of drought and insect attacks. Cereals 

 in the western districts are well above the average, and the same 

 may be said of hay and potatoes. Of several other districts 

 it is stated that the cereal crops are good, both as regards 

 grain and straw, but the oat crop is generally reported as poor. 



United States. — In the summary of the September crop 

 report, quoted by Dornbusch, the United States Bureau of 

 Agriculture states that the average condition of spring wheat 

 on September 1st was 87^3 against 89*2 on August 1st, and 

 66'2 on September 1st, 1904. Maize on the same date was 

 89*5 compared with 89 on August 1st ; oats 90*3 against 

 90*8 ; and barley 87*8 against 89*5 in August. Wheat, barley 

 and oats were already harvested. 



