FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9013, 19 October 1892, Page 3

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND

[BY 03R ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL CORRESPONDENT.] London, September 3. A FINISHING STROKE. NoTHiNG"but a wet harvest was wanting to pub a climax to the misfortunes of the present year, and during the last fortnight rain has been so frequent that a great deal of harm has been done to the crops, both cub and standing. Indeed, the week now ending has been wet throughout, nob one whole day having been fine. There have been blustering winds, too, which have caused a good deal of grain to shed from the uncut crops, and have knocked the hops about sadly. Although it iB a month since harvest began, very few farmers have finished, work having been hindered so much during the last fortnight. One effect of the rain has been to increase mildew in the wheats, and where the crop was in sheaf a good deal of sprouting has taken place. At least I have seen a great deal in the wheat of one district, and I hear of it in other places. Some wheat now before me, pulled from the middle of a sheaf, is quite green with shoots, and where ib is not green ib is brown with mildew. A greab deal of barley has been stained by the rains, and rendered unsaleable for malting purposes. Farmers are very down- i hearted, as at one time they hoped for a pretty good harvest, and now, in addition to extensive blight and mildew in the wheats, they have their wheat and cats sprouted, their barley stained andjgprouted to some extent, and a great deal of loss from shed grain. One of the greatest disappointments is that of the hop-growers. Until about three weeks ago they were talking of half a crop, bub bhe hob sunshine and thunderstorms of the first half of August helped the hops wonderfully, and pretty nearly an average quantity has been grown; but since picking began it has rained every day, and the high winds have bruised and discoloured the hops badly. As I write the sun shines brightly, and if we should be fortunate enough to have fine weather for the conclusion of the harvest, only just begun in the late districts, the general results may be less unfortunate than they are expected to be. Bub the barometer is rather low, and the sky has an unsettled appearance, while the mischief done already is so great that the harvest must be accounted a partial failure, whatever the weather of the future may be. I enclose a single day's reports from a daily paper to show that I have not in any way exaggerated the unfortunate state of affairs. There is no doubt that this season will prove one of the worst that farmers in this country have ever experienced. Feed has been short during a great part of the season ; the hay crop was one of the lightest crops on record ; barley and potatoes are the only crop 3 on arable land above average; a large proportion of the corn of all kinds has been badly injured ; and prices for cattle and sheep, as well as for corn, are extremely low. THE PRELIMINARY AGRICULTURAL RETURNS. A great deal of surprise has been occasioned by the figures relating to the wheat crop in the preliminary and partial agricultural statistics of Great Britain for 1892 just published by the Board of Agriculture. From all the wheat-growing districts reports of defective area had come in, and it was commonly supposed that there was 10 to 12 per cent, less than last year's acreage. The official report, however, puts the area at only 3*B per cent, less than that of 1891. Then the barley crop, Instead of being more extensive than it was a year ago, as expected, because of the supposed large deficiency in the wheat area, turns out to be 3'6 per cent, less in extent, while the area under oats has increased only 34 per ceut., and potatoes have fallen off by I*4 per cenb. The figures for three years are as follows :— CROPS.

The decreases since 1891 are 87,438 acres of wheat, 75,988 of barley, and 7433 of potatoes, against which there are increases of 98,416 acres of oats and 121 of hops. The net decrease is 65,010 acres. Figures for the other crops are nob yet given ; bub there is no doubt that they will show further progress in that encroachment of pasture upon arable land which has been going on for many years. Land has been laid down to grass extensively, and in too many places it has been left to lay itself down, by being thrown out of cultivation. The figures for live stock are nob much more satisfactory. They are as below :— Cattle. Yeir * Cows and Two years Under heifers in old and two years Total, milk or in above. old. calf. No. No. No. No. 1590 .. 2,537,990 1,439,119 2,531,523 6,508,032 1591 .. 2,657,054 1,504,649 2,691,118 6,552,821 1892 .. 2,650,891 1,666,706 2,(i27,156 6,944,783 Sheep and Lambs. Year. . Pigs. Sheep. Lambs. Total. No. No. No. No. 1890 .. 10,756,568 10,515,891 27,272,459 2,773,609 1891 .. 17,780,941 10,945,617 28,732,558 2,855,773 1892 .. 17,957,049 10,777,655 28,734,704 2,137,859 Cattle have increased by 91,962 ; bub this may be regarded as a legacy from last year, those under two- years having diminished in number. lb is also a bad augury for next year that cows have fallen off. Similar results are to be noticed in respect of sheep ; for although there is the trifling in crease of 2146 in the total, lambs are fevveby 167,962,. and the net increase is onlr that of the balance of last year's incremeny As for pigs, we have the extraordinary decrease of 750,914, or 26 per cent. The figures for Ireland have not yet been issued, and it will be understood that all, for crops as well as stock, are for Great Britain only. THE WORLD'S HARVEST. The estimates of the world's crops presented ab the Vienna International Grain Conference, held this week, are, as usual, of an optimistic character, and are nob ab all calculated to cheer producers of wheat. Both the Hungarian and the Austrian Ministers of Agriculture have presenbed estimates. That of the former is by far the more simple, the Austrian Minister's figures being only percentages of probable yield in relation to past production. The total wheat crop of the world is represented as 744 to 755 million hectolitres, or 2046 to 2076 million bushels, or about the same as last year's production. The available supplies are supposed to be from 27$ to 31 million brfshels in excess of the requirements. Such a margin is not a great one, considering thab surplus stocks in America are included; bub the rye crop, which ranks with wheab as a breadstuff on the Continent of Europe, - is pub at 192$ million bushels more than that of lasb year. It is to be noticed, however, that America is credited with a wheab crop of 528,000,000 bushels, or about 28,000,000 more than the probable production, while for some other countries the estimates are high. The reports upon which the estimate has been based must have been collected some weeks ago, as such reports take a good deal of time to prepare; and one characteristic of this season has been continually diminishing estimates of the crops nearly everywhere. The yield has proved below early estimates in almost every country in which ib has been tested. Still, there is no doubb as to the world's supply of wheab being ample, and I fear that no hope of an early improvement in prices can be entertained. The only hope is that the unexpected may happen. Last year all the prophets were wrong in anticipating higher • prices, and it is possible that this year they will prove mistaken in predicting a continuance of low prices. As far as wheab is concerned, there is certainly nothing in the statistical position to account for its extremely low price; bub I am afraid that the comparative abundance of the rye crop is fatal to the hopes ot

Year. Wheat. Barley. Oats. Potatoes Hops. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1800 2,380,330 2,111,178 2.902,998 529,661 53,961 1891 2,307,277 2,112,798 2,899,129 532,794 50,142 1893 2,219,839 2,033.310 2,997,545 £25,301 50,263