THE HARVEST of the WORLD.

Patea Mail, 13 January 1882, Page 4

THE HARVEST of the WORLD.

Mr B. Estrange reporting on (lie harvest in the different conn tries of the world says; That in France the wheat crop in three departments is said to be very good, in 30 good, in 23 fairly good, in 24 medium, and in 10 bad. Last year the figures were ; 5 very good, 17 good, 26 fairly good, 16 medium, and 6 bad ; so that the reports from over a larger area are better than last year. Of barley, from 70 departments, 8 reports are very good, 33 good, 13 fairly good, 1 passable, 14 medium, and 1 bad. This year’s crop, it will be seen, is not so good as last, but still fairly good. Oats are reported on from HI districts ; there are 6 very good, 21 good, 18 are fairly good, 26 are medium, and 10 bad. On the whole, the crops of this year are not up to those of last year, and none can be described as very good. The crops in Great Britain are described as: Wheat 10 per cent, below average, barley 10 per cent, above, and oats 29 per cent, below ; and the year is described as a poor one. In Austria-Hnngary the crops are spoken of as all round good, wheat and barley being above the average. The reports from Italy all agree in describing the crops much below the abundance of 1880. From the Turkish provinces on the Danube comes the statement that thic year’s wheat harvest will be of a medium character. Barley is yielding a good crop for quantity, but both color and weight are bad. Oats will be very much above the average. All the reports from Russia, and especially those from Odessa, speak of the barley crop as the best crop of the year, doubling that of last year in quantity ; bat as a rnle the grain is not so plump and weighty, nor the color so good, as might be wished. In the Prussian States, the reports on the crops are by numbers, 100 being taken as representing an average crop : Wheat, 80; rye, 77 ; barley, 89; oats, 89 ; peas and similar crops, 83; and potatoes, 95. Switzerland'suffering from an extreme drought doing damage to the wheat, which is a very poor crop. Oats and barley are in good quantity and quality. Belgian reports state the wheat far below an average. Barley is a good crop both for quantity and quality. Oats under average in quantity. All crops are reported as bad from Spain, barley being the best. From Holland wheat is quite an average, not only in yield but in acreage. The reports from the United States show that the yield this year will be about 150,000,000 bushels less than last year.