FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8726, 17 November 1891, Page 3

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

[BY OCR ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL CORRESPONDENT.] London, September 18. AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS. Our cereal year ends on the 31st of August, and the Board of Trade returns for that month issued last week give the imports of grain and flour for the twelve months, compared with those of the two previous cereal years, as follows :— 1888-89. 1889-00. 1890-91. Wheat.. . . Qrs. 14,231,241 13,695,848 ' 13,812,874 Flour,as wheat „ 4,04d,G10 5,369,501 6,148,430 Total 3.. „ 13,027,851 19,065,340 18,961,304 Barley .. „ 5,338,312 4,084,250 4,674,157 Oats .„ „ 0,187,906 4,089,1180 6,704,265 Peas .. „ „ 422,077 38.1,188 422,254 Beans .. „ 758,093 828,451 763,338 Maize ... .. „ 7,850,396 10,231,637 7,023,511 If wo add the imports to the Home crops of wheat we get at the following quantities :— 1888-89. 1889-90. 1800-91. Imports ...Qrs. 18,927,851 19,065,349 18,981,304 llorse crops „ 9,311.642 9,485,451 9,499,235

Totals ... „ 28,239,493 28,550,800 28,460,539 Deducting the small exports, we have an average per annum for the three years of 28,286,000qr, which may bo taken to represent approximately our present consumption, as stocks were lower at the end than at the beginning of the year. Now, the mean population of the period was about 37,400,000, so that the consumption by man and beast was at least six bushels per head of the population per annum. This is somewhat surprising, as we have long been accustomed to allow 5i bushels a head, with an extra million quarter to represent all the wheat sold for feed and for live stock in the United Kingdom. Apparently, then, we have increased our consumption of wheat, on account of the years of extreme cheapness; but whether it is by human beings or by animals that the extra quantity has been devoured there is nothing to show. Probably it is by both. Sir John Lawes has been in the habit of allowing 5'65 bushels per head of the population for all purposes, and this calculation appeared all right before the census of last April was taken, as the population was overrated. But now it seems that we shall have to allow about one-third of a bushel more. The other principal agricultural imports are given for the eight months of the calendar year, as follows:—

18S9. 1800.. 1891. Cattle No. 353,752 438,802 346,656 Sheep 379,308 157,312 161,970 Pigs .. „ 18,040 3,749 260 Beef, fresh, cwt. 854,65!) 1,218,393 1,220,10) I'itto, salt .. „ 171,397 167,714 153,830 Mutton .. „ 820,389 1,111,771 1,175,714 Pork, fresh .. „ 9.1,766 24,037 63,812 Ditto, salt ... „ 195,488 178,210 178,652 ISacon .. „ 2,321,654 2,532,879 2,435,224 Hams.. .. „ 702,125 832,791 884,993 Meat, pr's'rv'd „ 372,921 429,183 487,777 Do., unenumerated .. „ 08,709 65,776 5<3,849 Butter .. „ 1,259,647 1,367, 1,437,569 Margarine ... „ 823,038 687,273 507.28S Cheese .. „ 1,2r)5,553 3,320,421 1,237,311 Potatoes ... „ 1,772,293 1,739,650 2,959,139 Hops .. ... „ 60,700 69,914 57,422 Wool.. ..lb. 540,036,171 485,618,74S 550,663,528 The decline in the imports of cattle has been noticeable month after month. Compared with the receipts of the first eight months of IS9O, the returns show a decrease of over 92,000 cattle, while the increase in all kinds of meat is only 120,135 cwt, so that our consumption of foreign and colonial meat has diminished for a time. FROZEN MUTTON. Ib is a question whether the constant increase of frozen meat will not have to be checked, unless a better system of distributing ib can be provided, for it has been sold of late in the wholesale markets at very low prices. There is too great a difference between the prices paid by consumers and those received by shippers. I do not believe that any considerable quantity of frozen mutton is sold as freshkilled meat, though some of it may possibly be floured over and palmed off upon the unknowing ones as Welsh. When not floured, it must be a very " green" housekeeper who cannot distinguish it from fresh-killed mutton. Bub the consumption is cheeked by the prices at which the meat is retailed. People will never pay as much for frozen meatus for fresh-killed. They would be fools if they did, for it is all nonsense to say, as some correspondents of New Zealand papers do say; that frozen mutton is as good as fresh-killed. It is neither so fine-flavoured nor so nutritious, as it wastes moro in the cooking, however carefully ib is dealt with. Consequently, at the same or nearly the sumo price as prime English mutton, it would nob be at all economical food. But ib is a boon to people of email income, and ib should bo more widely distributed than ib is, and sold at such moderate retail prices as will just allow of a fair profit bo shippers. At present middlemen get too much out of it. THE WORLD'S WHEAT SUPPLY. Beerbohin's Corn Trade List of Friday last contains the following estimates of wheat supplies and requirements in the world for the current cereal year :—

Estimated Estimated Country. exports. requirements. Qrs. Country. Qrs. U.S. <t Canada 26,000 United KingRussia.. .. 0,009,000 dom .. .. 19,500,000 R o tl m a n i a, France.. ... 13,000,000 Bulgaria, Germany .. 4,500,000 Servia .. 4,500,000 Belgium .. 4,000,000 Austria. - Hun- Holland ... 1,500,000 gary.. .. 1,000,000 Italy .. .. 3,500,000 India and Per- Spain & Portusia .. .. 5,000,000 gal .. .. 1,250,000 Algeria, Tunis, Switzerland .. 1,500,000 and Egypt.. 1,750,000 Greece.. .. 500,000 Chili, Argen- Sweden, Nortina, & Aus- way, & Dentralasia ... 2,250,000 mark .. 2,000,000 West Indies, China, Brazil, etc. ... 2,500,000

Total .. 47,000,000 Total ... 53,750,000 The deficiency shown here is only 6,750,000 qr; bub ii very insufficient allowance is made for the increased demand for wheat which must result from the tremendous deficiency of the ryo crop. Indeed, as far as Russia is concerned, practically no allowance is made for a deficiency of rye put by the Russian Minister of Finance at '21,000,000qr. The wheat crop is estimated at '23,000,000qr, and a year's ordinary consumption of wheat in Russia is about 18,00l),000i]r. Beerbohm adds 1,500,000qr for Poland, and makes the total for European Russia 24,500, though it is not certain that the produce of Poland was not included in the smaller quantity. Therefore, it is assumod that all the surplus of the new crop, except half a million quarter, will be exported. For my part, I believe it will nearly all be required to feed the starving people, and that Russia will have no wheat to spare beyond any surplus of old wheat that may bo left, and that is not much. No doubt maize and other grain will bo used to a great extent instead of the lacking rye; but it seems altogether unreasonable to conclude that no extra wheat of any consequence will be used as well. Russia will export wheat during the | autumn if nob prevented by Imperial ukase ; but probably she will import to an equal or nearly equal extent in the spring.