Reports on Foreign Crops. 



527 



as "very good" in nineteen departments, "good" in forty- 

 seven, and 4k fairly good " in nineteen other departments. 

 Rye is not grown at all in two departments of France. 



Failure of the Harvest in Servia. 



The Board have received information, through the Foreign 

 Office, which indicates that, owing to the almost total failure 

 of the Servian harvest in 1897, there has since been no 

 export of cereals from that country ; and that the Ministry of 

 Finance issued a circular to the Customs on the 21st 

 December last (old style), ordering the suspension of 

 Customs dues on wheat and maize imported from Treaty 

 as well as from non-Treaty States. The duties suspended 

 are 75 centimes per 100 kilogrammes (4d. per cwt.) on 

 maize, and 2 francs per 100 kilogrammes (iod. per cwt.) on 

 wheat. The "obrt" turn-over) taxes and other minor 

 accessory Customs charges still remain in force. 



The reserve stock of maize in the communal granaries was 

 estimated at the end of January at 23 million kilogrammes 

 (843,000 bushels) ; but no estimate could be given respecting 

 the quantity in private hands. Importations of maize had 

 begun from Bulgaria, and they were also probable from 

 Roumania as soon as navigation opened on the Danube ; but 

 the eastern departments of Servia — viz., Negotin and Kraina 

 — were fairly well supplied, and had so far had no occasion 

 to purchase. The importation of wheat is not likely to be 

 very considerable, as the peasantry, which comprises go per 

 cent, of the population, prefer in times of scarcity to live 

 on the cheaper maize, which also serves to fatten their swine. 



Servia in average years is an exporting country, and 

 usually exports several hundred thousand hundredweights of 

 wheat and maize, chiefly to Hungary. The latter country 

 exports its finer qualities and consumes Servia' s. inferior 

 grain, which is admitted at a considerably reduced duty. It 

 is estimated that Servia will have to import this year about 

 200,000 cwts. of wheat, and a similar quantity of maize. 



