HOME AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4081, 10 October 1885, Page 4

HOME AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.

The English correspondent of the Argus, writing under date of August 21st, says: At the date of my last report the weather was very wild and unsettled, causing no little solicitude to farmers who had commenced cutting their crops For the greater part of a week a strong gale, accompanied by fitful downpours of rain, prevailed throughout tto mlikklb, which did co- siderable injury in some districts, beating out the ripe grain and prostration the cereal crops so as to render cu'ting by machine extremely difficult. For a week past, however, wo have had a calmer atmosphere, a higher temperature and more favorable conditions altogether lor the work ot ingathering The storm-wave brought with it Bufficient rainfall to save the turnip crop in many places, so that the benefits conferred far outweigh the disasters eus'ained. Meanwhile the harvest of cereals is progressing rapidly. Some samples of new wheat have been exhibited at Mark-lane market, and if they may be taken as a fair example of this year s produce, there is not much cause tor satisfaction, as tbey were generally poor, containing an unusual proportion of thin and course grain. Probably, however, molt of them were from crops prematurely ripened, and better specimens may be expected when the stout wheats are threshed. At any rate it is too soon to come to any conclusion as to the quality of the new wheat crop, As regards quantity, several forecasts have, within the past week, been made public, all of which a>,ree in this, that the wheat crop will be the best of the year. The A'lricnltuml (la:dtc, on the authority of returns from 476 correspondents, repreBenting different districts all over England, nnd some of the counties of Scotland and Ireland, estimates the wheat crop at oh per centover an average one, of 28 busbels an acre. The same journal considers barley to be about an average crop, and oats to be as much below the stanJard aa wheat is above it. It would thus appear that the harvest yieldings are liktly to be far different in character from what they were last year. A comparison of. the respective acreages has just been given jn n summary of the agricultural returns of 1885. These reports were collected on the 4th of June, the same date as last year, and a day earlier than in 1883. These show that the acreage of wheat this year is 2,478,318 acres, asainst 2,077,038 in 1884, and 2,013,102 acres in 1883. Here we have a decrease of 198,720 acres, or 7 4 per cent on the year. This is but what was to have been expected when the low prices of the past year are considered. It will aflect the markets slightly, seeing that fhe reduced area will mean that we have now certainly less than four months supply of home grown wheat for the coming harvest year. Of barley we have this year 2,257,340, an increase of 88,520 acres, or 4 1 per cent, over 1881, but a decrease of 34,045 ncres, or I*s per cent, as compared with 1883, A comparison of all three corn crops shows that — even with a slight increase in the acreage of two of the cereals — thfre is a decrease in the area sewn of 74,877 acres. Of potatoes 548,731 acres nre fown, asainst 505,048 last year, and 543,455 in 1883. This is a decrease of 2 0 per cent as compared with last year, and an increaso of 1.0 per cent oyer 1883. Here, also, low prices have mide their expected effect. Of hops 71,314 acres are grown, there being nn increase 2,050 ncres over over 1884, ond a decrease of 3,298 acres as compared with 1883. From France the reports of the harvest are of the most satisfactory character. The first threshings of wheat show that the quality and weight of the grain are superior to expectation. The average yield throughout the whole country is just under 17 bushels pc- acre, but the total ptodiice of wheat is officialy estimated at 14,000,000 bushels less than that of last year. The weather during the latter portion of the German harvest has been wet nnd cold, and the crops still out in the field have been to some extent damnged. There are also complaints of potato disease. In Austria Hungary the crops are being got in in good condition, but the wheat crop will be deficient, it is estimated to the extent of 800,000 quartprs as compared with last ye»r's yield. From the east ol Europe the reports are more favourable thin tbey have beeu. Splendid weather has enabled the farmers in Roumania to gnther their crops in fine condition ; and in South Rußf>ia. it is now eaid that the crops though poor on the whole, have not been so extensively destrojed by drought as earlier and reiterated statements led people tc suppose. The latest accounts from Manitoba con firm previous accounts of magnificent crops of all kinds ol cereals, lv the United # ates the winter wheat crop is all harvested and it is e*titunt<.d to have yielded 215,000,000 bushels. Adding to that quantity the decreased figures) given for spring wheat in the August report, 142,000,000 bushels, we get at a total ol 357,000,000 bushels n« the latest official estimate of the American wheat crop ol 1885, as compared with 513,000,000 bushels in 1884 Meanwhile the grain trade is extremely dull, though n? regards wheat the tendency at Mark-lnne this week has been somewhat stronger. No actual change can be quoted, however. '1 he disposition still prevails tc wnit another week or two, until the new grain is being offered in such quantities as sball enable a fair estimate to be formed o the actual result of the harvest. Miller?, with the large supplies of foreign flour offering, maintain their cautious policy ol dealing as little as possible, while ou the other hand, holders of wheat are not at all anxious sellers, believing that prices have seen their lowest, and that the result of the harvest abroad is such as to rentier the prospect of an improvement in valuee almost a certainty. At the same time, aa the farming community have had to contend with a series of bad seasons, there are doubtless many growers who are compelled to realise early, and astheir grain is thrown on the market some unsettlement may not improbably follow. That, however, may be a temporary influence. A gradually improving market scema to be generally counted upon, with values hardening as the Reason advances.