The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1916. THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF WHEAT

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 May 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1916. THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF WHEAT

It is satisfactory io be able to reco d (on the authority <>i the International J iiiititute oi Agriculture) tlia-t the Voi tuei n Hemisphere's output of wheat for 1910 has shown an extraordinary increase. Justifiable apprehension waa felt, on account ol the disturbing influences ol a general war, regarding the capacity of the various countries to grow end harvest even the normal quantity of cereals, but even the most sanguine prophets fill rank from fortell. iug the wonderful increase that actually has been achieved. From the latest statistical notes sent to us By the Intel national Institute, we reprint 'or -benefit of our readers the following paiticulais. I he for which tho Institute possesses official data For the quinquennial period aij also for tho decennial period preceding tho fast harvest, but which have not yet sent the estimates for tiie last crop, are -"he following —Germany, Austria, Hungary (Kingdom), .Belgium; Bulgaria, 1' ranee, Norway, Russia in Europe (Poland), and Algeria. The average comprises only the four yeare Lijifbre the last, because results of the production in 1911 have not yet been sent to the Institute. Thie 4 year avp;'

age, in the meanwEile, has been aido n-1 ed also for the harvest year 19'.4. ' Decking to give as exact an idea as possible of the 1915 production for at least some of the countries as far as can be done from information at *he Institute's disposal,-we reproduce hereafter the latest information upon cropcondition diata received at the Institute: Tn Bulgaria, the Harvest seems to. be super in quaility to that of the ' last two years. The condition of the , crop at Ist July, expressed according to the system used m tlie country, was 3.7 for winter wheat and 3.6. for spring wheat. (3 —fair, 4 good). In France, the condition of the crope at Ist, August, expressed according to the system used in the country was 64. as agaiiHt 08 at Ist July, ((30 —fairly good', 80— good). The area under wheat in 1915 has beein estimated at 5,723,128 hectares against (3,115,224 in 1914, that is 93 per cent. It must bo noted that the invaded regions, 348,106 hectares of which were sown to wheat in 1914, v e not included in these iigurcs. The first half of August-was rather wet: the second half dry and warm. These conditions were favourable to the harvesting of the cereals, the yields -if which, however, will be slightly interior to the average. The quality of the grain is satisfactory. In Sweden, the condition of the crop at Ist September, expressed according to tlie system adopted by the Institute, was' 108. 'o change having taken place since Ist August. In Algeria, in the Department of Oran, except in the coast zone where no rain fell when needed, good and very good yields are f1? the remainder of the country the harvest is considered satisfactory and even good,, 111 a general manner.. The area cultivated in 1915 is estimated at 1,298,633 hectares, or 'J0.3 per cent of the area, cultivated »ast year which was 1,363,034 hectares.

The return of the world's production does not consider the production of wheat, although of some importance, in the following countries adhering to the Institute: Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Turkey in Europe and in Asia, Mexico, China, Persia, Peru and oho Union ,of South Africa. For this-group of countries, for wliion there .ware no agricultural statistics at all—or, if ;»ny, only for some separate yeara, the average production may be estimated at about 70 million quintals. By adding these 70 to the 1,003 millions of the harvest year 1914 and 1914-15, we arriae at a total world« production of 1,073 million quintals in round figures. The world's production table, upon ihe basis of the harvest of the preceding year, shows, about 93 per cent of die tota.l worldi's production of wheat, so that it may be considered practically complete. The total of the official data (863,142 thousands _of quintals) dcrrms 78.1 per cent of the general total of 1,105,661 thousands of quintals. The production of the harvest of 1915 111 tlie Northern Hemisphere amounting to 1,105,661 thousands of quintals, is more than that of tlie preceding year by 17.4 per cent; it is also greater than the average production of the last five yeans (118.7 per cent) and: even surpasses by 25.8 per cent tihe average crop of the last ten. vears.