UNiv OF CALii LOS ANGELES SEP 23 1952 LIBRARY GOVT. PUBS. ROOM *I Issued May 25, 1911 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF STATISTICS— Circular 19. VICTOR H. OLMSTED, Chief of Bureau. FOREIGN CROPS, MAY, 1911 PREPARED BY CHARLES M. DAUGHERTY, Chief of the Division of Research and Reference. 94835° -11 WASHINGTON PRINTING OFFICE : 19 ocjn no, FOREIGN CROPS, MAY, 1911. INTRODUCTION. Excepting the partial failure of the corn crop in Argentina and Uruguay and a backward state of vegetation and spring seeding in almost all Europe, the foreign crop situation at the end of April was in all its diverse phases fairly satisfactory. Excellent sowing weather has been experienced in Argentina, and the areas laid down to wheat, flaxseed, and oats are probably the most extensive in her history; corn husking, now drawing to a close, has, however, given the worst results in several years, and former estimates of an export surplus of 20,000,000 bushels are now generally regarded as too high. The small corn crop of Uruguay is also reported a failure. In Australia it is doubtful if a full area has been sown to winter wheat, seeding having been widely interrupted by rains. The harvest of wheat and oilseeds in British India has with few exceptions made satisfactory progress, and by virtue of increased areas outturns are expected to equal or even surpass those of the most prolific years. In Canada the sowing of spring wheat has been in active progress; on probably 80 per cent of the land intended for this cereal the seed was in the soil on May 1, the total promising largely to exceed all previous records. Over almost all Europe temperatures during early April were abnormally low; frosts and heavy snowfalls in many countries checked the development of vegetation and brought spring field work temporarily to a standstill. As a consequence vegetation and farming operations are almost everywhere more or less in arrears. In Great Britain wheat is officially stated to cover an area 5 per cent greater than last year; the condition, though not of the best, is pretty well up to average. In France unseasonable cold, with heavy snows, early in the month interfered widely with farming operations; much injury was done to early fruits and vegetables, but growing cereals are said to have been effectively protected by the snow. The area under wheat is believed to show some decrease, but the condi- tion is better than at the same date last year. Although the cold weather also extended over Spain and Italy, there are no definite reports of damage to the staple crops. In central Europe the general agricultural situation, though fairly satisfactory, in not so promising as at the corresponding period a [Clr. 19] (3) year ago. In Germany the condition of winter wheat is officially rated average, but the much more important bread grain, rye, is under average, while the appearance of clover and alfalfa is the worst in years. Winter cereals in Austria are somewhat backward, and the spring-sown show unsatisfactory germination. In Hungary wheat was damaged by field mice and frost during the winter to the extent of 10.3 per cent, representing a loss of probably 15,000,000 bushels. From the Balkan States there are no serious complaints, but reports are not so roseate as at this time last year, when predic- tions were already being made of the most bountiful season the coun- try had ever known. In so far as known, cereals in Russia seem to have wintered well, excepting in parts of some of the southern governments, where more or less extensive replowings were necessary. Winter was prolonged over practically the entire country until mid-April. Spring sowings were everywhere much delayed, and some apprehension is felt respecting the possible consequences to the important spring wheat crop in case of droughty weather later in the season. CANADA. All indications point to a heavy increase of spring-wheat acreage in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. Various causes have made this result probable. Immigration has been exceptional; over 48,000 homestead entries were made during the last year, and a wide extent of new ground has been brought under the plow. Seeding about a fortnight later than a year ago, but favored, with rare exceptions, by almost ideal conditions of soil and weather, was mostly completed by May 1. It is officially stated that Manitoba and Saskatchewan had 70 per cent of the proposed area sown at the end of April and Alberta and British Columbia 80 per cent. Estimates of a 25 per cent increase over the area sown in 1910 are common; should they be verified over ten and one-half million acres will be under wheat in the three provinces this year. The surface under flaxseed, it is believed, will also be heavily augmented. In the eastern Provinces of the Dominion, excepting the unimpor- tant producer Nova Scotia, the culture of wheat is on the decline, the area having fallen from 1,676,000 acres in 1890 to 899,000 in 1910, whereas during the same period the acreage in the western Provinces, not including British Columbia, increased from 1,010,000 to 8,396,000 acres. The statement following shows the development of the wheat- growing industry and of the wheat-export movement in the Domin- ion during the past 20 years, as indicated by census reports for 1890 and 1900 and estimates of the Dominion Department of Agriculture for 1908, 1909, and 1910. [Cir. 19] Total area and production of wheat in the Dominion of Canada, and exports of wheat and wheat flour therefrom, in specified years. Area and production. Exports. Calendar year. Area sowd. Production. Year ended June 30. Wheat. Wheat flour. 1890 1900 1908 i 1909 i 1910' Acres. 2,701,213 4,224,542 6,610,300 7,750,400 9, 294, 800 Bushels. 42.223,372 55,572,368 112,434,000 166, 744, 000 149,990,000 1891 1901 1909 1910 1911 * Bushels. 2,108,216 9,739,758 47,840,324 53,045,620 32,240,622 Barrels. I,5s3,084 1,811,869 1,953.884 3,314,356 2,045,812 1 Not including British Columbia. 2 Eight months ended February, 1911. Winter wheat, it may be added, is produced to a noteworthy extent in the Dominion only in Ontario and Alberta; the respective areas sown last fall for harvest in 1911 have been officially estimated at 682,500 and 107,800 acres, against 609,200 and 98,000 last year. The May 10 report of the Dominion Department of Agriculture says : In Ontario April frosts were destructive in some regions; and from 12 to 34 per cent of the area sown has been reported as winter-killed. The central counties north of Lake Ontario suffered worst, the average loss as reported being 34 per cent. In the western counties 27 per cent of the area in crop has been destroyed. In the southern counties north of Lake Erie the loss is 10 per cent; in the northern counties and dis- tricts, 12.6 per cent; and in the eastern counties, between the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. 15 per cent. For the whole of Canada the area winter-killed is reported to be 21 per cent, and the per cent condition of the growing crop is 82. ARGENTINA. From the fact that 20 years ago the acreage under wheat in Argen- tina was approximately the same as that in Canada, it is of interest to contrast the subsequent development of each country in the culti- vation and exportation of this cereal. Below are the official figures on the area, production, and export of wheat in Argentina for prac- tically the same years as shown above for Canada: Total area and production of vjheat in Argentina, and exports of wheat and wheat flour therefrom, in specified years. Area and production. Exports. Crop year. Area sown. Production. Calendar year. Wheat. Wheal flour. 1890-91 1. -ni 1908-09 1909-10 1910-11 Acres. 2,970,656 8,351,360 14,981,920 14,422,100 15,451,000 Bushels. 31,048,117 74.752.034 156,162,327 131,010,000 139,625,000 1891 1901 1909 1910 1911 Bushels. 14.534,009 33,226,692 92,377,517 69, 209, 499 Barrels. 78,904 806. 951 1,310,241 1,29S,104 Within the 20-year period twelve and one-half million acres have been added to the wheat fields of Argentina and only six and one- half million to those of Canada, the areas in 1910 having been, respec- [Cir. 19] tively, 15,452,000 and 9,295,000 acres. The figures on production are not so accurate an index of the relative advance in wheat culture, since the frequent occurrence of drought in one or the other country often vitiates the value of these figures as a measure of comparative progress. As would naturally be expected, Argentina is regularly the more important exporter. The population of Argentina is about 6,500,000, and of Canada about seven and three-fourths millions; the domestic wheat requirement, including seed, of the former is probably greater than that of the latter by only a few million bushels. The 1910-11 wheat crop of Argentina has turned out somewhat better than anticipated. A revised estimate (April 20) of the Argen- tine Ministry of Agriculture now puts the yield at 139,625,000 bushels — preliminary estimate last December, 136,318,000 bushels — and final figures for 1909-10, 131,010,000 bushels. The provisional estimate (26,967,000 bushels) of the 1910-11 flaxseed crop has been reduced to 23,620,000 bushels, against definite figures for the previous year of 28,212,000 bushels. As corn gathering progressed during March and April, pessimism respecting the outcome became inten- sified, popular belief becoming more and more confirmed that, in consequence of the damage from drought, there would be little surplus for export. In recent ye«ars the exports of corn have largely exceeded those from the United States, as may be seen from the following statement: Production of corn in Argentina, and exports thereof as compared with those jrom the United States. [Bushels of 56 pounds.] Calendar year. Production, Argentina. Exports. From Argentina. From United States. 1910.... 1909.... 1908.... 1907.... 1906.... 175,330,000 177,157,000 136, 057, 000 71,768,000 194, 912, 000 104,812,000 89, 499, 359 67,390,278 50, 262, 705 106, 047, 790 42,692,961 36.205,650 37,577,717 83,200,S72 102,518,817 During corn harvest, field work preparatory to getting in the autumn-sown wheat, flaxseed, and oats was in full swing. The weather is reported to have been generally propitious, opportune rains kept the soil for the most part in good workable condition, much new ground is said to have been broken in the Pampa and Cordoba, and confidence is expressed that the total area sown to each of the above-named crops will exceed that of any previous year. AUSTRALIA. Plowing for winter wheat, which began early in April, has suffered considerable interruption in some districts from excessive rains, and [Cir. 19] in the eastern States of the Commonwealth it is said the land seeded may be somewhat curtailed. In Western Australia wheat culture is likely again to undergo extension. NEW ZEALAND. The official preliminary estimate of the yields of grain for the current season, with a comparison of the actual yields for the pre- vious season, is given below : Area and production oj grain in New Zealand. Crops. Year. Area. Production. Per acre. Total. Wheat 1910-11 1909-10 1910-11 1909-10 1910-11 1909-10 A ores. 27 '4, 533 311,000 353,997 377,000 32,969 41,500 Bushels.* 26.10 28.97 38.11 37.01 28.08 30.51 Bushels.1 7,164,181 Oats 9,008,322 13,492,423 13,953.128 925,682 1,266,098 1 Winchester bushels reduced from imperial bushels. BRITISH INDIA. Harvest of wheat and oil seeds, now nearing an end, has been favored by good weather, excepting occasional heavy rains and high winds in the United Provinces and the Punjab; prospects of a bumper crop in this, in point of area, the third largest wheat-pro- ducing country of the world, are well maintained. The acreage exceeds all previous records but one. The highest yield in the his- tory of the country was 360,000,000 bushels in 1904, out of which there were exported 80,000,000 bushels. The statistical history of the production and exportation of wheat for the past few years is as below: Production and exports of wheat in British India. Area and production. Exports. Calendar year. Area. Production. Year ended Mar. 31. Wheat. Wheat flour. 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 Acres. i 28,973,000 27,919,000 26,149,000 28,824,500 29,212,500 26,357,400 28,470,200 28, 413, 700 Bushels. 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 Bushels. Barrels. 357,941,000 2S4,361,000 227,983,000 317,023,000 319,952,000 283,063,000 359,936,000 C-) 39,221,437 4,097,002 32,870,475 29, 920, 639 35,004,872 80,267,604 (2) 265,275 227,817 281,657 309,688 340, 183 390, 228 [Cir. 19] 1 Preliminary estimate. * Data not yet available. GREAT BRITAIN. The wintry weather of March continued up to mid-April, seriously hampering field work and retarding the growth of vegetation, but warmth and sunshine the latter half of the month expedited the seeding of nearly all land intended for grain. Probably owing to additional sowings in February, the area under wheat has been officially returned as 5 per cent larger than last year. The condi- tion of the autumn-sown fields is said to be fairly promising, the principal exceptions being on those sown late, that is, after the heavy downpours of last November. February sowings are described as presenting an appearance of robust vitality. Oats is believed to have been sown on a much larger and barley on a smaller area than last year. Excepting for a somewhat retarded state of vegetation general prospects are quite satisfactory. FRANCE. Unseasonably low temperature prevailed intermittently throughout a great part of April. Snow, rain, hail, and sleet were reported from all regions within the first 10 days of the month, and in some places the mercury fell lower than in any April in 40 years. In the south early vegetables, vineyards, and early flowering fruit trees, such as almonds, apricots, and peaches, were seriously attainted by frost, but owing to a fortuitous covering of snow over most of the country no extensive damage seems to have been done the cereals. Subse- quent weather permitted resumption of the interrupted sowing of spring oats, barley, and wheat, and the preparation of the soil for planting sugar beets and potatoes, but continued low temperatures, with white frosts up to near the end of the month, caused constant anxiety over the fate of the more tender vegetation. Notwithstand- ing widespread apprehensions, the agricultural situation at the end of the month was on the whole spoken of rather favorably — certainly more hopefully than at the same time last year. Winter wheat probably covers a reduced area; the early sown, the bulk of the crop, is spoken of in general as having a promising appearance; but that sown in December and January is said in some localities, especially of the west, north, and east, to have a thin stand, because of poor germination. The condition of winter rye, which likewise probably covers a surface less than last year, is satisfactory; that of winter oats poor. The sowing of spring cereals, notwithstanding some delay from inclement weather, was practically finished by mid-April, or earlier than last year. Early growth was vigorous, but owing to a period of drought and heat in the closing days of the month, late reports were less optimistic. The French Ministry of Agriculture has recently issued its final estimates of the area and production of cereals in 1910; wheat has [Cir. 19] yielded 9,183,000, and rye 6,769,000 measured bushels less than originally estimated. The official data follow: Final area and production of grain crops oj France in 1910. Crops. Area. Production. By measure. By weight. Wheat Acres. 16,209,500 1,081,000 3, 004, 200 1,850,200 9,766,700 Bushels.1 259,181,000 5,436,000 44,981,000 43, 676, 000 296,088,000 Bushels* 254,507,000 5,327,000 Rye 44,913,000 44,842,000 342,875,000 Oats i Winchester bushels. 1 Bushels: Wheat GO, maslin 58, rye 56, barley 48, and oats 32 pounds. SPAIN. Rather vague complaints of crop damage, due to low temperatures and frosts, have been reported from some districts. ITALY. Although abnormal weather for these latitudes — snow in the north and night frosts in the south — was experienced in early April, there have been few noteworthy complaints respecting the state of either the autumn or spring sown crops. Ample moisture to facilitate the preparation of the soil and seasonable development of vegetation are reported from most districts. GERMANY. In the report of the Imperial Statistical Office on the mid-April condition of crops in Germany, it is stated that the snowfalls of the winter of 1910-11 were of moderate proportions and short duration. Spring set in early, with summerlike days in March. Early April was unseasonably cold, warm weather resuming sway only during the latter half of the month. Respecting the state of the crops, the report is not especially assuring. The late sown are said to have developed poorly, having suffered from April frosts and from ravages of field mice. Replanting will be necessary on an extensive scale, but the extent can not be known until the issuance of the May report. Below are the official figures: Crop conditions in Germany April 15. [1— very good; 2=good; 3= medium; 4= poor; 5= very poor.] Crops. Nov. 15, 1910. Apr. 15, 1910. Apr. 15, 1909. Apr. 15, 1908. 82.6 2.7 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5 Average Apr. 15, 1901-1910. Winter wheat Winter rye... Clover Alfalfa [Cir. 19] 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.5 10 AUSTRIA. According to the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, wheat, rye, clover, and alfalfa emerged from the winter in good condition, but cold weather in early April retarded growth. At the date to which the report refers (April 15), potato planting had for the most part been finished, corn planting was still in progress, and the sowing of spring barley and oats had just begun. Owing to the low tempera- ture the spring-sown cereals had germinated poorly, and barley, when up, had lost color. Hops wintered well and are in good con- dition. HUNGARY. Wheat prospects deteriorated considerably during the winter, the Ministry of Agriculture on April 9 putting the loss at 10.3 per cent. The greater proportion is attributed to the ravages of field mice, the loss from that cause being 7.2 per cent and from winterkill only 3.1. The surface under wheat shows some increase on both sides of the Danube, but elsewhere a small decline. Rye, barley, and oats are believed to cover a diminished area, as compared with last year. Wintry weather, with snow and night frosts, were reported from all parts of the country during a great part of April. Farm work and spring sowings were interrupted, but no losses of an irreparable character are believed to have been incurred. ROUMANIA. The weather during April was warm and spring-like with plentiful showers over the greater part of the country, and work in the fields progressed under favorable circumstances. Corn planting is now in progress. Autumn-sown grain, especially wheat, is generally spoken of as looking well, although in some districts reso wings were necessary. Crop prospects are in general satisfactory. BULGARIA. The German consul at Varna reported April 6 that notwithstand- ing repeated frosts and snow in March, crops in that district were everywhere satisfactory. The winter was on the whole favorable for spring sowings, then in full progress or even in some places ended, excepting in the case of corn and beans, the planting of which had not begun. RUSSIA. The striking feature of the beginning of the agricultural season of 1911 has been the late advent of spring throughout the entire country. During the first half of April farm work was almost everywhere inter- [Cir. 19] UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 11 rupted by heavy falls of snow, and, though subsequently there was fine weather, sowings are much in arrears. In many places opera- tions were only begun at a date that in ordinary years marks their completion. The delay is undesirable in that it may jeopardize the chances of the spring crops, particularly the important spring wheat crop, becoming well rooted before the heated season sets in. The general impression seems to be that excepting in some southern gov- ernments, notably Bessarabia, Kherson, the Crimea, the Don terri- tory, and a few others, winter cereals have successfully passed through the rigors of winter. The central statistical committee, in a report early in April, relating to 61 governments, stated that snow cover during the winter had been sufficient in 19, not quite sufficient in 25, and entirely insufficient in 17 governments, but no definite figures are available indicating the amount of damage done on unprotected territory. EUROPEAN TURKEY. The director of statistics in the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture, Mines, and Forests has recently issued a report on agricultural pro- duction, covering all of European Turkey except one vilayet, and cer- tain mountainous districts in another from which returns had not yet arrived. Although European Turkey comprises less than 6 per cent of the area, it contains nearly 25 per cent of the population of the Ottoman Empire ; and the statistics of its production have, therefore, an interest considerably in excess of that which they would derive from its mere territorial extent. Area, production, and value of cereals in European Turkey. Crops. Wheat Rye Barley Oats Corn Other cereals . Total. Area (acres). 1,001,225 258, 845 510,677 297, 187 726, 568 157, 363 3,011,865 Product (bushels). : 19,461,778 5,808,165 13, 443, 431 6,526,483 16,658,136 2,989,770 64,887,763 Value. $19, 530, 370 4, 440, 537 8, 360, 743 2, 605, 095 11,902,963 1,687,272 48, 532, 980 1 Bushels of capacity. Peas, beans, lentils, and chick peas (dry), with potatoes added, amounting to 52,315,200 pounds, and worth $877,978, were grown on 86,591 acres. Other crops grown are: Crops. Acres. Product (pounds). Tobacco | 62, 415 Cotton, flax, and hemp 24,895 Sesame, opium, canary seed 54,278 [Cir. 19] 49,177,190 9,262,717 19, 947, 863 12 These, with the addition of olives, olive oil, and cocoons, for which areas are given, are valued at $6,591,451. Grapes, wine, and brandy, valued at $3,319,847, were obtained from 181,035 acres in vines. Fruit trees yielded $50,190, and animals and animal products, $14,131,847. The grand total is $73,504,293, of which the cereals contributed nearly two-thirds. Approved: James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C, May 10, 1911. [Cir. 19] o