u 
^OtlRNAt  OF  HORTIGULftlRE  AND  OOTfAOE  OARDMEFL 
ffhly  ll,  18S7. 
steadily  declined  since  the  autumn,  and  is  falling  still ;  yet  the  fact 
that  the  sufBciency  of  the  world’s  food  supply  has  been  called  in 
question  lends  additional  interest  to  the  prospects  and  estimates  of 
the  produce  of  the  crops  now  growing.  Our  own  crop  is  so  insig¬ 
nificant  in  proportion  to  the  world’s  growth,  that  it  is  hardly  worth 
taking  into  consideration  ;  but  we  may  observe  in  passing  that 
though  the  Wheat  crop  cannot  approach  the  fine  crop  of  last  season, 
owing  to  thinness  of  plant,  it  may  yet  turn  out  to  be  an  average 
one. 
The  chief  interest  as  regards  foreign  Wheat  supply  centres 
in  America.  The  June  report  of  the  American  Department 
of  Agriculture  has  been  published,  and  should  give  us  a  good 
estimate  of  the  position  of  the  growing  Wheat  in  the 
United  States.  The  great  difference  between  this  report 
and  the  unauthorised  newspaper  or  trade  reports  previously 
published,  is  very  marked,  and  it  is  quite  evident  that  either 
a  great  change  for  the  worse  has  come  over  the  American  Wheat 
crop,  or  that  organised  and  systematic  attempts  have  been  made  to 
unduly  “  hear  ”  or  depress  the  markets  for  speculative  purposes. 
To  take  the  case  of  the  Wheat  in  California,  the  condition  of  the 
crop  in  May  was  stated  to  be  97  per  cent,  of  a  full  crop  ;  but  the 
official  report  only  estimates  the  condition  for  June  as  73  per  cent. 
The  condition  of  winter  Wheat  in  the  States  taking  the  whole 
country  is  78  5  against  80  2  for  May,  and  77  9  for  June,  1896, 
,  whilst  the  acreage  has  been  reduced  by  1,232,000  acres  in  the  year, 
or  more  than  5  per  cent.  The  condition  of  spring  Wheat  is  89  6, 
or  10  3  less  than  last  year,  but  the  acreage  is  larger  by  about  the 
same  amount  that  the  winter  Wheat  has  decreased.  Taking  winter 
and  spring  Wheat  together  the  condition  is  82  7  against  87- 6  last 
year,  thus  we  have  a  5^  per  cent,  diminution  in  condition  on  a 
similar  acreage.  The  statements  that  have  been  made  that  the 
crop  would  be  one  much  heavier  than  that  of  1896  must  therefore 
be  very  far  from  the  truth  ;  on  the  contrary,  a  much  smaller  yield 
must  be  expected,  and  English  farmera  must  take  this  into  account 
when  estimating  the  probable  run  of  prices  for  the  winter. 
On  the  continent  of  Europe  crop  prospects  vary  considerably. 
In  France  things  are  not  promising,  and  expects  a  deficiency  of 
6^000,000  qrs.  on  the  year.  In  Russia,  Hungary,  and  Roumania  a 
very  similar  state  of  things  prevails.  Spain,  Germany,  Holland, 
and  Italy  report  an  average  prospect,  but  nothing  more.  India  has 
not  yet  recovered  from  her  year  of  famine,  and  at  present  will  be 
fully  occupied  in  supplying  her  own  needs  ;  whilst  in  Australia 
and  Argentina  the  weather  conditions  have  been  very  unfavourable. 
Taking  the  world’s  Wheat  therefore  as  a  whole  there  is  little 
probability  of  a  fair  harvest ;  indeed,  there  isfevery  likelihood  of 
a  poor  one.  There  have  been  so  many  scares  in  the  past  as  to  the 
possibility  of  a  food  famine  on  a  small  scale,  scares  which  have 
been  proved  to  be  entirely  unfounded,  that  the  consumer  has 
become  lulled  into  a  sense  of  security.  We  trust  the  awakening 
may  not  be  a  rude  one,  for  a  very  small  real  deficiency  would  lead 
to  a  very  large  increase  of  price. 
We  think  we  have  shown  that  there  is  good  reason  for  believing 
that  Wheat  will  not  come  any  lower  in  price,  but  will  more  likely 
have  a  rise.  As  regards  Barley  it  is  to  be  feared  that  another  tale 
will  have  to  be  told.  The  growing  crops  look  well  enough,  and 
we  should  think  that  the  yield  so  far  as  we  have  observed  will  be 
an  average  one  ;  also  the  straw  is  not  tco  long,  and  appears  able  to 
keep  upright  if  the  weather  be  anything  like  favourable.  But 
Barley  is  now  imported  from  so  many  new  sources,  and  so  much 
of  it  is  sounder  and  paler  in  colour  than  our  own,  that  maltsters  and 
brewers  can  afford  to  look  on  with  equanimity  when,  as  last  season, 
the  English  farmer’s  crops  are  being  ruined. 
Our  readers  may  remember  how  rapidly  the  price  of  sound 
Barley  rose  during  and  immediately  after  the  disastrous  weather 
of  last  September.  The  brewers  were  alarmed  and  anxious  about 
their  malt  supplies  ;  but  what  was  the  outcome  ?  Fine  Barley 
from  abroad  was  provided  in  abundance,  and  before  the  season  was 
over  the  price  of  fine  English  had  fallen  lOa.  or  12s.  per  quarter. 
With  an  experience  like  that  fresh  in  our  minds,  can  we  expect  to 
get  much  more  than  253.  for  our  Barley,  even  if  it  be  good  enough 
for  Bass  ? 
Oats  have  been  suited  by  the  recent  forcing  weather,  and  will 
be  much  better  all  round  than  last  year,  which  will  help  to  make 
up  for  lower  prices  which  are  certain  to  prevail. 
We  are  very  curious  to  see  the  agricultural  returns  with  the 
present  acreage  under  Potatoes.  There  is  hardly  a  grower  to  be 
found  who  does  not  confess  to  having  reduced  his  acreage  of 
Potatoes.  In  some  cases  not  half  as  many  are  being  grown  as  in 
1896,  and  we  shall  be  much  surprised  if  we  do  not  see  something 
very  striking  in  this  direction  in  the  returns.  The  crop  promises 
fairly  well,  but  is  backward  ;  as,  however,  there  is  a  large  increase 
in  the  proportion  of  early  varieties  as  compared  with  late  ones, 
there  will  be  an  ample  supply  during  the  early  months  of  the 
season.  The  diminution  in  the  area  of  good- keeping  kinds  may 
make  itself  felt  as  spring  approaches.  The  Potato  grower  needs  a 
turn,  having  had  two  bad  seasons  in  succession,  bad,  not  from  the 
smallness  of  the  crops,  but  owing  to  very  inferior  quality  and  too 
much  bulk. 
If  growers  could  only  be  induced  to  combine  in  growing  high 
quality  the  crop  would  be  a  paying  one,  but  the  Giants  and 
Colossals  now  grown  so  largely  draw  heavily  on  the  land,  and  only 
benefit  the  salesmen  and  the  railway  company. 
WOKE  ON  THE  HOME  FARM. 
We  have  had  a  fine  week,  and  very  fortunate  has  it  been,  for  what 
with  haymaking  and  Turnip  hoeing  we  have  not  known  which  way  to 
turn  first.  Mangolds  having  been  backward  have  wanted  attention  just 
when  the  Swedes  were  beginning  to  do  so,  and  the  later  Turnips  having 
grown  more  rapidly  than  either,  all  the  striking  and  singling  wants 
doing  at  once.  So  necessary  is  it  to  have  Turnips  thinned  out  and 
weeded  at  the  proper  stage  of  growth,  that  we  are  allowing  some  of  our 
hay  to  stand  a  little  longer. 
Swedes  are  all  singled,  but  will  require  looking  over  again  for  weeds, 
those  struck  out  daring  the  wet  weather  having  grown  a  little  between 
the  rows,  and  the  few  weeds  it  is  inevitable  to  leave  behind  being  now 
much  in  evidence,  and  soon  will  be  in  fiower.  The  horse  hoe  must  be 
kept  constantly  at  work  as  long  as  it  is  possible  to  get  it  between  the 
rows  comfortably. 
It  has  been  splendid  weather  lately  for  the  hay,  windy,  with  not  too 
much  sun.  The  Clover  and  grass  have  made  beautifully,  without  being 
unduly  shrivelled.  A  continuance  of  such  weather  for  another  fortnight 
would  see  the  hay  harvest  finished,  and  with  a  fine  crop  well  gathered 
the  farmers  of  the  country  would  have  great  cause  for  self  congratulation. 
Having  got  the  Mangolds  hoed,  we  are  now  giving  them  a  top¬ 
dressing  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  at  the  rate  of  3  cwt.  per  acre.  There 
is  nothing  better  for  Mangold  than  this.  The  roots  grow  rapidly,  get  a 
good  size,  and  are  very  solid  and  sound.  The  few  bits  of  corn  laid  by 
the  rain  has  been  blown  up  again  by  the  wind,  but  there  has  been  quite 
wind  enough  for  the  corn  generally,  as  the  ears  begin  to  fill  and  gain  in 
wet  the  high  winds  knock  them  alraut  sadly. 
Pastures  are  now  good  everywhere,  and  by  emptying  a  field  or  two 
where  the  grass  has  ran  away  from  the  stock  and  running  the  machine 
over' them  an  extra  hayrick  may  be  picked  up  easily  and  put  by  until 
there  is  a  less  favourable  season. 
The  horses  have  had  an  easier  time  of  late,  and  are  now  eating  vetches 
without  corn ;  in  fact,  we  knock  off  the  corn  for  a  qonple  of  months 
from  midsummer.  This  course  has  an  excellent  effect  on  the  limbs  and 
general  health  of  the  animals. 
MBTKOROLOGIOAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
OAMDBfT  3QUARB,  LOBDOB. 
Lat.  Sl°  IS' 40"  N. ;  Long.  0°  8/  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  teet. 
Datb. 
9  A.M. 
IB  THB  Day. 
d 
S 
M 
1897. 
July. 
1  Barometer 
at  33°, and 
1  Sea  Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
1  foot. 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Bun. 
On 
Graii. 
Inohs. 
leg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inohs 
Sunday  ..... 
4 
30-047 
63-5 
52-4 
N.W. 
62-8 
68-0 
63-4 
116-2 
47-4 
... 
Monday  .... 
5 
30-029 
61-8 
67-9 
S.W. 
62-6 
76-8 
50-2 
12 1-9 
43-9 
O-OlO 
Tuesday .... 
6 
29-760 
60-0 
64-7 
w. 
63-3 
71-0 
63-1 
125-2 
66-8 
0-010 
Wednesday 
7 
J9-792 
59-6 
61*4 
w. 
62-9 
69-2 
60-3 
117-8 
46-9 
Thursday  .. 
8 
29-981 
61-2 
81-2 
S.W. 
61-9 
72-2 
44-0 
117-7 
36-1 
Friday  .... 
9 
30-002 
69-4 
54-3 
S.W. 
62-6 
73-6 
.86-8 
119-8 
82-3 
Saturday  .. 
10 
30-2  U 
68-1 
88-7 
N. 
63-3 
78-6 
69-8 
130-1 
564 
— 
29-976 
61-9 
64-4 
62-8 
728 
63-9 
121-4 
48-6 
0-020 
REMARKS. 
4th.— Bright  early ;  alternate  cloud  and  sunshine  during  the  day. 
5th.— Bright  early,  generally  cloudy  from  8  A.H. ;  a  little  rain  at  night, 
tth. — Fine,  but  generally  cloudv,  and  overcast  at  times. 
7th.— A  sprinkle  of  rain  early ;  fine  and  sunny  throughout  the  day. 
8th.— Generally  sunny  in  morning,  but  much  cloud  in  afternoon. 
9th.— Overcast  morning ;  bright  sun  at  times  in  afternoon. 
10th. — Bright  sunshine  throughout. 
Another  very  fine  week,  but  with  no  very  high  temperature».M}.  J.  StmOnS.  , 
