THE HARVEST OF 1867 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 911, 21 January 1868, Page 3

THE HARVEST OF 1867 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

We have before us a mass of agricultural statistics and reports of more or less reliability, concerning the harvest of the present year, in Great Britain, Europe, Canada, aud South America, which we have collated and digested with some care, in order thafc we might give to our readers in a few words the result of many hours' labour. In our own country we all know that the harvest has been plenteous — the wheat crop being as large as it ever has been, the corn crop larger than it has been since 1861, and the other grains and cereals having yielded well. This is the result when the entire country is taken as a whole. In the British Isle's the weather this season has been unusually variable. There has been much more rain than has fallen for many previous years. The Government there makes no returns of the result of the harvest ; but the London Times has for many years employed a number of practised agricultural experts as its correspondents in various parts of the kingdoms, and their reports are generally tolerably reliable. The reports of five of these correspondents are before us, and the substance thero is that tho wheat crop of England and Scotland together will be below the average. In Scotland and the north of England the harvest is fully three or four weeks later than usual, and the weather as a whole has been decidedly xinfavourable for bringing the crop to maturity. The quantity of grain throughout the Kingdom, according to these correspondents, will be smaller than usual, and the quality of it will be inferior. There is a great yield of straw, but a deficiency of grain. But the crops of oats and barley throughout England, Scotland, Ireland., j and Wales, are very large and very fine. The potato crop in the Kingdom is said to be in a critical condition. The potato disease appeared early in the season in the south and west of England, and more lately, owing to the prevalence of rain, it has made considerable progress in Scotland and the north of England! It is feared that the potato crop as a whole will not be more than one-half of its usual quantity, and this deficiency will increase tlie demand for wheat, barley, and oats. The crops in France have not been at all good. The weather has been very unfavourable, and there is a serious deficiency in grain ahd roots. The grain crop of Germany lias been good, but the potato disease has also prevailed there, and tlie crops will be deficient from onethird to one-half. The grain crops of Belgium, Portugal, and Spain are deficient. Switzerland never raised grain enough for her own consumption, but this year the usual deficiency seems to have been increased. Italy, unlike England, has suffered from long continued drought instead of an excess of rains, and her grain crop is more than usually short. Algeria, Tunis, and Morocco are in the same condition. But, on the other hand, Russia, Turkey, Austria, and the Danubian Principalities have excellent wheat crops this year ; the harvest in more than half of the South American States has been good ; and of Mexico, notwithstanding her troubles, it is reported that she has raised grain enough to supply her .own population. To summarize the practical bearing oi""i;fee--afeaEajEacts i in the plainest manner, ifc may be sufficient to say that the countries which will be compelled to buy breadstuff's between the present time and tho next' harvest are Great Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Algeria, Tunis, and Morocco ; while the countries who will have grain to sell are the United States, Canada, Chile, and some of the other South American States, Russia, Turkey, and the Danubian Principalities. The stocks of old wheat in Great Britain and France have not been so low since 1854 as they are afc this time. Large purchases of wheat have been for some time past made on French account in the Eastern ports. The French Government has intimated to its citizens thafc large purchases of breadstuff's would be expedient. For many years past the imports of wheat into Great Britain have steadily increased. This has been owing to the increase of the population, the improvement in tlie rate of wages, and the more liberal expenditure of the people : and to these causes is now added the necessity of supplying the deficiency caused by the partial failure of this year's crop. The following are tho amounts of wheat imported into Great Britain since 1845, taking periods of five years together : — Quarters. From 18-16 to 1850 10,523,807 From 1851 to 1855 23.015.72G From 1856 to 18G0 20,899,936 From 18G1 to 1865 39,908,391 The average price of British wheat for the week ending September 7 was 625. sd. per quarter ; but for the corresponding week in the years 1863 to 1866 inclusive, the prices were respectively 445. 2d., 425. 3d., 465., and 475. 3d. per quarter. The present high price of wheat in England is drawing large supplies thither— and for the first eight months of the present year the imports there were about 5,000,000 cwt. in excess of last year. — Boston Journal, Oct. 8.