THE WORLD'S HARVEST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1706, 8 November 1887, Page 3

THE WORLD'S HARVEST.

Information as to the probable barvest of ihe world is at all times a subject of interest to farmers m ibe Australasian Colonies, and more especially so is it at this season, when the harvest m the Northern Hemisphere is nearly over, enabling an estimate to be formed closely approximating to what must prove the actual results. We therefore propose m tbe present article to lay before our readers tbe latest intelligence on this subject which has come under our notice. Recent advices tend to- show that the prospects of better or improving values, are, to put m the mildest form, somewhat chequered. In the United Kingdom the wheat crop has been the best known for several years, and is estimated to average 30 bushels per acre, as against 28 bushels m previous years. Other cereals suffered considerably from the drought which prevailed during the early summer months, and are expected to show less than the average yields. On the Continent of Europe, Hungary and Austria bave reaped exceptionally heavy crops of wheat, while m Russia and Germany the yield is much greater than gene* rally expected at an earlier period of the year. In France the harvest, so far as wheat is concerned, has been equally satisfactory, but as m England and almost throughout the whole i of Europe, other cereal crops have proved disappointing. In the United States we find that the deficiency of the wheat crop, compared with the yield of the previous year, is estimated ' at from 37,000,000 to 40,000,000 bushels. It has been known for some time that m India the harvest has been considerably smaller than estimated early m the year, but we have no exact information as to whether it is above or below the average. It is, however, calculated that, on the whole, the heavier crops of the United Kingdom and the European Continent will fully compensate for the deficiency m the United States and India, and that with larger supplies from South America and Egypt, the standard average of the yield of wheat throughout the world will be well sustained. In the wheatgrowing colonies of Australia — Victoria and South Australia — the prospects are exceptionally, if not unprecedentedly favorable, and m our own colony, so far, the crop is reported favorably of. From these advices it will be seen that, at present, there does not seem any prospect of an improvement m the price ■ f wheat, nor is it supposed there will be until tbe current season is well advanced. There is, therefore, under such circumstances, only one hope^ inspiring aspect of the position, which is, that there are not, as m previous years, any considerable stocks o.f old wheat held over m any portion of ihe vrorld,

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