436 



Notes on Crop Prospects Abroad. [aug, 



It was feared, however, that the quality might suffer owing to the great 

 heat subsequently. Autumn wheat, rye, and oats ripened in the last 

 half of June. In the plains and towards the sea the crops were in good 

 condition, with large ears full of heavy grain. Notwithstanding a 

 small amount of damage caused by rain, wind, and some hail, a fine 

 crop of wheat and barley is to be expected. The oat crop also was 

 expected to give a very large production. 



Maize was sown in the first decade of June in some districts, and 

 owing to rain and cool weather growth was good,' especially where the 

 rain was plentiful. The second hoeing was nearly finished at the end 

 of June, and in some districts the cob had already formed. 



World's Hop Crop. — In their report, dated the loth July, on the hop 

 season 1910-11, Messrs. Barth & Son, of Nuremberg, state that the 

 area under hops in the world in 19 10 was 233,544 acres, against 240,634 

 acres in 1909, but that the production per acre was large ; in fact, the 

 firm regard it as one of the largest of the past thirty years. The quality 

 of the crop suffered considerably from the cold wet weather during 

 harvest time, and the drying of the hops was at times much impeded. 

 Prices in Germany were very low at the beginning of the season, and 

 have fluctuated considerably, but generally they have gradually advanced, 

 until at present they are at their highest point. There is a great scarcity 

 of stocks at the present time, and only a world's record crop will satisfy 

 the demand. The 191 1 plant has wintered well in all countries, and 

 the general prospect is fairly good. 



Russia. — A report in the ofificial Commercial and Industrial Gazette 

 of July 26th, forwarded by the British Commercial Attache at St. 

 Petersburg, sums up the prospects of the grain crops in Russia as 

 follows : — In general, according to information received from all the 

 sixty-three Bourse Committees, the grain crop in European and Asiatic 

 Russia this year is an average one, considerably less than that of last 

 year. The prospects are satisfactory for all grains in the west, south- 

 west, and the south, and in places, especially in the governments of 

 Ekaterinoslav, the Tavride, Kharkoff, and Kieff, very satisfactory. In 

 the centre of the Empire the outlook is somewhat worse, though 

 inclining towards an average yield. In the central and lower Volga, in 

 the basins of the Kama and Bielaia, as also in the Ural region, it is 

 already clear that the crop will be below the average, and in places 

 even bad. In Siberia, with the exception of the government of Irkutsk, 

 the Altai districts of the Tomsk government, and some separate 

 districts of a few other governments, there is a complete failure of the 

 grain and fodder crops. The reserves of grain this year are everywhere 

 limited, and are considerably smaller than last year's. 



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

 Department of Agriculture estimates the yield of winter wheat at 

 455,000,000 bushels, as compared with a final estimate of 464,000,000 

 bushels last year. The average quality of the crop is put at 92*2, 

 against 92*6 last year. The average condition of spring wheat on 

 August ist was 59'8, against 73*8 last month, 6i'o on August ist, 1910, 

 and 82*3 the ten-year average on August ist. The average condition of 

 the oat crop on August ist was 65*7, against 68"8 last month, 81*5 on 

 August ist, 19 10, and a ten-year average of 82*2. The average condition 

 of barley on August ist was 66*2, as compared with 72" i last month, 



