Reports on Foreign Crops. 



^5S 



Converted into imperial quarters of 480 lbs. the estimated 

 yield of 1898-99 amounts to 28,975,772 quarters compared 

 with 31,058,071 quarters in the previous year. 



Crops in Russia. 

 According to a report published by the Russian Ministry 

 of Agriculture in the Messager Officiel, the condition of winter 

 wheat at the end of July had improved throughout European 

 Russia, except in the southern provinces, where it was for 

 the most part a failure. On the whole, an average harvest of 

 this crop was looked for, although considerable variations 

 were manifest in the prospects reported from different 

 districts. Better reports were forthcoming with regard to 

 spring wheat, and the harvest of this grain w T as expected ta 

 yield much more satisfactory results than in the case of the 

 winter sown grain. The hay harvest had terminated under 

 satisfactory conditions in most provinces, but it was 

 generally slightly below the average. 



Crops in Poland. 



According- to reports received from H.M. Consul-General 

 at Warsaw, continuous wet weather has proved prejudicial 

 to the crops of Poland ; nevertheless, although the general 

 opinion seems to be that the yield will prove under average, 

 this view is not held universally. The area under grain 

 appears to be about the same as in previous years, and spring 

 grain generally promises to be better than corn sown in the 

 autumn. Potatoes suffered less than might have been 

 expected from the cold and rain. Beet will probably give a 

 smaller crop than last year. 



Crops in Austria. 

 According to the report of the Austrian Ministry of Agri- 

 culture, referring to the middle of August, the wheat harvest 

 had been at that date almost entirely gathered in. The crop 

 was reported moderate both in quantity and quality, com- 



