The Chronicle LEVIN. THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1916. A CEREAL STORY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 June 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1916. A CEREAL STORY.

from the IntariiatioaaJ, bureau of Agl'icuituro (Rome) The Chronicle is in receipt of an exhaustive summary o» 1 the yields of cereals for I&16, with in- , formative remarks as to consumption demands, prices and so forth. The compiler of the summary (Dr Widuug) estimates that the wlioat crops of the world for 1915 and 1915-16 showed a total of 1,161,000,000 quintals, and ha further estimates that this gives a surplus of 141,000,000 quintals over the world's actual requirements. tie makes up his figures as to tITe world's needs on statistics covering a period of five years, so they must give a +air find sufficient basis' to allow of relative accuracy. The doctor also shows tlnat the world's products of oats and maise have been in excess of requirements this year; oats by twenty-two million quintals, and maize by twentyfour million quintals. ; Rye .and barley are 1 the only cereals that hiave been produced in lesser quiantities than are normally required. There is a deticiency of four million quintals in rye and of twenty-three million quintals in barley. Such figures, in comparison with the world's totals, are almost negligible; and having regard to the extraordinary quantities of this year's wheat the world is again freed from the fear of want that lias been evokedi (at various times in the last two years) through apprehension that agriculture would become neglected in Consequence of the great withdrawals of men from this avenue of industry. The great war has brought many trials, many Wardships in its but the 6pectre of general famine must be still afar, and with continued goodi fortune it mlay never materialise. In a qualifying note on the estimates from which" we have quoted the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics states that although his figures show more or less of a surplus over and above requirements, it must be borne" in mind that these surplus yields hare to supply the needs of countries not included in the various tables but importing whdat and flour

to some considerable extent. tiuch are mostly the intertropical countries (and colonies. Further, there aire important alterations in the results obtainable if we start irom the requirements of 1913-14 and 1914, in place ol those for the five years' period of 1909-10 to 1913-14 land 1010"'% IW4. On this basis the wheat surplus would not be 6o great, while tiiat of maizo, on the contrary, wouldi show an increase. In oats there would be a deficiency, and the existing shortages ot rye- and ibarley would be enhancell. But in mlany instances surplus yields might be substituted in case of sucli articles as are deficient, and the mm totbl of .the surplus would greatly outweigh any deficit, the existence ot which is demonstrable by these statistics.