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REPORTS ON FOREIGN CROPS. 



[Sept. 1896. 



Crops in Germany. 



According to the reports issued by the Imperial Statistical 

 Bureau at Berlin, relating to the condition of crops in Germany 

 m the middle of August. Wheat was above the average, and 

 the harvest was partly over. The quality had suffered from the 

 unfavourable weather of July, and there were complaints of the 

 crop having been injured by rust and mice. 



The rye harvest was almost everywhere completed. The crop 

 had been prejudicially affected by rain and wind, particularly 

 in the east, and the results were not so satisfactory as had been 

 expected. The quantity was, however, above the average, and 

 the straw was generally long. 



The condition of oats was stated to be on the whole good, but 

 the straw was short in many districts, and in Wurtemberg the 

 condition of the crop generally left much to be desired. 



The yield of barley had not come up to expectations ; only a 

 portion of the crop had been well harvested. 



Potatoes were reported to be in moderately good condition. 

 In Prussia the crop was strong in haulm, but rain was needed 

 to develop the tubers. From Hesse, Baden, Alsace Lorraine, 

 and Wurtemberg, favourable accounts were received of the 

 condition of the crop. 



The condition of all the crops in the middle of July was 

 statistically estimated by the Imperial Statistical Office as 

 follows (where 1 represents the expectation of a very good 

 harvest, 2 good, 3 average, 4 poor, 5 very bad) : — 



Winter wheat, 2*4; spring wheat, 2*6; winter rye, 2*5; 

 spring rye, 2*8; barley, 2*8; oats, 2*7; potatoes, 2*6; clover 

 and lucerne, 2 • 8 ; meadow hay, 2 • 5. 



Crops in Hungary. 



According to the Wiener Landwirthschaftliche Zeitung of 

 12th August last, quoting from the reports of the Hungarian 

 Ministry of Agriculture, the damage caused by storms and hail 

 to the crops in Hungary has been considerable during July. A 

 yield of 141,883,000 bushels of wheat was expected from an 

 area of 7,590,000 acres, or about 18*7 bushels per acre. In 

 1895 the yield of wheat was 143,990,000 bushels. 2,861,000 

 acres under rye were expected to yield 48,247,000 bushels 

 (against 40,073,000 bushels in 1895) or 1681 bushels per acre. 

 Although the average yield of rye is rather below that of wheat, 

 the quality is expected to be excellent. 2,566,000 acres were 

 under barley, and the probable yield of 20" 7 9 bushels per acre 

 would give a total of 53,370,000 bushels against 47,988,000 

 bushels in 1895 ; the quality, which was expected to be very 



