198 



FOREIGN OFFICE REPORTS. 



[Sept. 1895. 



considered the small harbour town of Werder, situated between 

 Potsdam and Berlin, on white sand-hills near the River Spree. 

 There the growing of fruit, notwithstanding the unfavourable 

 soil, has increased wonderfully. The fruit excels by its 

 i5uperior quality and is preferred by consumers. The growers, 

 who have organised themselves into trade unions, are now in 

 possession of a harbour fleet of their own, and, during the 

 season, ship their produce every morning in their own steamers 

 to the markets at Berlin. 



[Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, N'o. 1586. Price Sd.] 



Agriculture in Denmark in 1894. 



Captain James Boyle, Her Majesty's Consul at Copenhagen, 

 has transmitted to the Foreign Office a Report on the Agricul- 

 ture of Denmark for the year 1894, in which he quotes some 

 remarks from a report issued by M. Lacour, President of the 

 Roj^al Agricultural Society of Denmark, on the present condition 

 and prospects of dairy farmers. 



The year 1894 is said to have been a disappointing one, and 

 to have contributed to increase the depression which, for a series 

 of years, has affected Danish agriculture. 



What especially lessened the value of the crops for the year 

 1894, were the low prices of wheat, rye, and other cereals. It 

 was believed at the commencement of the year that prices could 

 not possibly go any lower, but now that this has been proved not 

 to be the case, it is asked with anxiety, whether a farther fall in 

 prices may be expected ? M. Lacour states that it is difficult to 

 answ^er this question on account of the enormous development 

 of transport, and though hope is entertained that the prices of 

 the two bread cereals are now so low, that it cannot pay for 

 other countries to increase the culture of wheat and rye, it 

 cannot be concealed that all reports from the great markets of 

 the world, seem to indicate that the culture of wheat, &c., will 

 be still exposed to very great and keen competition, if not, as 

 hitherto from North America and the East Indies, at least from 

 the Argentine Republic, with its virgin and fertile soil, and its 

 developing and rapidly increasing means of transport. These 

 remarks are said to be equally applicable for the most part to 

 Russia as well. 



In barley, and especially in fodder barley, prices in Denmark 

 have fallen greatly. This is largely on account of its having to 

 compete with Russian barley, which, in spite of its inferior 

 weight, becomes more and more appreciated in England, and 

 not only forces Danish fodder barley out of the market, but on 

 account of its being used for food for horses, contributes very 

 greatly to keep down and lower the price of oats. The fall of 



