VOL. XIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, OCT. 25,1884.
NO. 43.
HARVESTS OF THE WORLD.
Wheat Appears to be the Leading Crop for the Year 1884.
M. Estienne, of Marseilles, France, has
•sued his annual volume on the crops of
ih« Northern Hemisphere. The following
.apart is abridged from the London Times'
summary of the book. So far as Europe
is concerned, an average harvest of wheat
a reported, but when America and India
jre thrown in the harvest of this cereal
_u«t be put down as one especially bountiful.
THE FRENCH HARVEST.
The greater portion of the volume deals
•nth the crops in France. There are in all
ji) reports on wheat, the same number as
in the years 1881 and 1883, but one more
thin lJsji. In tive departments the crop is
"very good," in 54 it is "good," in 22 it is
"fairly good," in four "middling," and in
gve "bad." Last year the crop was good
in 15 departments, fairly good in 27, middling in ■Mi and Dad in foul"s In 1882 the
fjop was very good in 20 departments,
pod in 1', faWy good in U, middling in
10 and bad only in one. In 1881 three detriments were very good, 30 were good,
3 fairly good, 24 middling, and 10 bad.
In isM) the figures were five very good, 17
pod, 2i3 fairly good, 10 medium, and six
bad. A comparison of these years thus
shows that the crop this year is immensely
superior to any crop ot which a"record is
riven. The various reports of the various
departments also bear out this view, all
■peaking of the yield as good and large
and the quality of the grain excellent.
The area of wheat is up to the average,and
altogether this crop is perhaps the most
satisfactory crop of the year. The oat crop
U reported on from 87 departments, the
same number as last year, but one less
than 18S2. Five report the crop as very
good, 36 as good, 27 as fairly good, 15 as
middling, and four as bad. Rye is reported
on from 77 departments, against 79 last
year, 77 in 1882, 65 in 1881, and 73 in 18S0.
Three departments report the crops as
very good, 35 as good, 18 as fairly good, 18
is middling, and three as bad. Barley is
reported on from 73 department's,the same
number as last year, but against 70 in
h<2,70 in 1881, and 73 in 1880. Of these 11
report it as very good, 38 as good, 14 as
fairly good, seven as middling, and three
nbad. Looking at all the crops, we thus
lee that so far as the present year is concerned France has a fairly good yield, but
tor no crop can it be said that the year is
extraordinarily prolific. A year that is all
ronnd "good" will be the verdict.
THE BRITISH HARVEST.
Next to France we have the crops in the
I'nited Kingdom reported on. Besides a
number of very short excerpts from letters, etc., there is one very full report;—the
fullest in the volume—on the English har-
Ttst in 188t. This was written on the 11th
of August, and gives the following picture
of the crops of the year—100 being taken
m representing an average crop: Wheat,
U22; barley, 9S.1; oas, 94.3; potatoes,
l'K4; beans, 88.2; peas, 91.4; roots, 78.8;
P»sshay,79.1 ;and clover hay,82.4. One of M.
Estienne's correspondents gives his estimate of the yield of wheat at 11,000,000 quar
ters for consumption, and this is based on
the fact that the crop is exceedingly good in
those districts that are specially adapted
for wheat, and where the yield is always
largely above the 28 bushels per acre
adopted as the average of the kingdom.
This he estimates will leave us dependent
on foreign supplies for at least 13,000,000
quarters, and to meet this demand at least
20,000,000 quarters may be expected to be
offered us.
The reports on the harvest in Scotland
all speak of the prospect as good. Both
for this country and Ireland the season has
been good, though the coldness and the
rains of May and June acted adversely to
the growing crops. In Ireland, the potato
crop promises to be an abundant one, but
the drought in August has almost destroyed the green fodder crops.
AUSTRIA- nO.NOABY.
From Austria-Hungary we have several
reports—all of which are generally favorable. So far as the acreage of the various
crops is concerned, wheat, rye, and maize
are about the same as last year, but barley
and oats show a Blight decrease. Wheat Is
a good harvest, both for yield and quality,
ITALY.
There are several reports from Italy, all
of which speak of wheat sowings as having
occurred under favorable circumstances,
and of the crop as having come on well
until the cold rains of May and June came
and very much prejudiced the prospects
of the harvest. In Tuscany the harvest is
inferior for quality, medium for yield.
Maize is here a good crop of satisfactory
quality. Over the rest of Italy wheat,bar-
ley and oats are good, and the harvest
is generally spoken of as superior by a
quarter to the harvest of 1883. Barley is
of bad color.
TURKISH AND DANUBIAN PROVINCES.
Throughout the whole of the Turkish
and Danubian provinces the season has
been, on the whole, favorable, the only
drawback being the drought in May,
which was, happily, not of long duration,
and was followed by the refreshing rains
of June. There will thus be a satisfactory
yield of all cereals, while the quality and
weight will also be good.
ASIA MINOR, SYRIA, AND CYPRUS.
Here the harvest last year was good, but
this year's is even better.
THE RUSSIAN HARVEST.
The reports from Russia are somewhat
surprising, speaking as they do of a late
and very ordinary harvest. Tlie whole
harvest is about 15 days late in this
country. Taking 100 as representing an
average, the following shows the state of
the Russian crops this year, and in 1883:
1S8S. 1884.
Barley    170 100
Rye ~    125 1W
Wheat     so 100
Colza beans -.~     21 55
Linseed (flax)     40 100
Oata    1=0 100
It will thus be seen that, while there are
no extraordinary crops this year, the harvest is generally an average. The oleaginous crops are all described as poorer than
the cereals, but there is not here the very
general failure that had to bo reported last
year.
GERMANY.
Wheat, oats, and barley are all three ex.
ceptionally good crops, and the quality of
the grain very high.   Wheat is  also turn
Ing out to be plump and heavy in the
grain, some of the samples weighing up to
80 kilogrammes per hectolitre. Rye also
Is an exceptionally good crop in every
respect, while the potato harvest is above
the average, the quality of the tubers
being good.
SWITZERLAND.
Potatoes are very good, but beans art} a
poor crop. Wheat is the great crop of the
year, the quantity being above the average and the quality and weight very good.
The sample is put down at 80 kilogrammes
per hectolitre. Oats are a poor crop for
quality, but about an average yield.
BELGIUM.
Potatoes are a good crop. Wheat is good
both for yield and quality, the weight of
the grain being exceptionally heavy. Oats
are only an avenge crop, and are light in
weight, while rye leaves much to be desired so far as quality is concerned. Barley is under an average for yield, but of
good quality.
SPAIN.
The wheat crop is an average one, but
not up to that of last year, both quality
and weight being good. The same may be
said of barley. The quantities grown of
these cereals will be barely sufficient for
the wants of the country, and a little will
have to be imported.
UNITED  STATES.
The crop of wheat is estimated at from
450 to 500 million bushels.
INDIA.
For the second time wo havo a report
from India, from which It appears there
will be a good averago harvest of wheat in
provinces of Bombay, Calcutta, and Kur-
rachee, and that for yield and quality it
will be quite equal to the very satisfactory
crop last year.
TUNIS.
A report from Tunis speaks of the wheat
being irregular in quality and under averago in yield this year. Barleys, also,
though a medium crop, are "spoiled by tho
rains.
MOROCCO.
Ono report from Morocco states that
there the wheat and maize crops are magnificent, so far as the yield is concerned,
but tbe quality was not then known, as
none had beon thrashed. All grain exported from this country belongs to the
government, as no private porsons aro allowed to export.
Although thoso reports are all favorable,
they do not speak of a year of extraordinary abundance, but rather of one of average abundance. The wheat crop is
everywhere the crop of tlie year, and this
will insure cheap breadstuff's during the
next twelve months.
The Tariff and the Farmer.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I cannot agree with Jacob Oelger and
others that a farmer's paper should deal in
politics, not that we farmers should "take
no interest in politics except to vote," as
J. Q. has said, but we get enough of that
class of reading in other papers and can
thus draw our conclusions as to what is
and what is not to our interest. A farmer's paper is of necessity non-partisan in
politics, otherwise it would lose its calling.
But questions ot great national interest,
such as the "protective tariff and "free
trade" doctrines, we should feel at liberty
to discuss, regardless of party prejudices,
for they are of vital interest tothe farming
community and should have their influence in deciding his vote.
I heartily agree with "Kd and I" that a
protective tariff is of the highest importance
to the farmer as well as to the manufacturer, and I do not think Mr. Geiger has
taken an unbiased look over the ground
covered by thlsquestlon. lie assumes that
the farmer must "pay a high tariff on all
he buys." Right here he shows his ignorance, as but few articles of necessity are
subject to import duty. Off of luxuries
we collect by internal revenue and tariff
$225,000,000. This includes whisky, high
wines, tobacco, silks, perfumery, etc.,
and it only requires $75,000,000 more to
run our government. Remove this tax,
which no farmer is compelled to help pay,
and see where our taxes would be. Articles of necessity are from 25 to 50 per cent
cheaper now than when we lived under a
comparative free trade system, and yet we
cannot buy woolen goods much, If any,
cheaper now that tho tariff Is taken off of
wool. But we find instead, sheep husbandry almost driven out of our country,
woolen mills closed, and those who were
formerly consumers, turning of necessity
to producers and further glutting our already overstocked markets. Why is this?
Because farmers of Indiana, of America,
cannot compete with Australia and those
foreign countries in the production of
wool. We cannot afford to raise wool for
the pitiful sum of 10 cents per pound, but
the Australian herdsmen can deliver it in
Now York at that price and havo a fair
profit. See to what giant proportions the
sheep husbandry of this country had
grown under tho "high tariff" act of 18G7,
and the present outlook for that industry.
Can you not seo wherein a tariff protects
tho farmer?
Again Mr. G. says, "and soil their produce ln competition with   all the cheap
labor of the world."   Well! my friend, that
is just what we are trying to remedy by a
tariff.   Wo cannot compete with "pauper
England"   nor    with    "savant    India."
Would the removal of our protective tariff mako the foreign market any better?
No!   Wo must fostor home industries, protect our manufacturers, protect his employes, and thus make a  home market
where we compete with no unhappy  free
trade nation.   What wo want is moro consumers for our produce, and thoso right
here at home.   Throw open our ports to all
tho wares and productions of "cheap labor,"
England and her tributary nations, and
how long would our manufacturing interests flourish?   How many of our work-
ingmen,  artisans  and common laborers
would work for 50 and 75 cents per day?
Close our vast factories and workshops and
where will wo farmers dispose of our surplus?   There  are over 15,000,000 mouths
depending on the manufacturing interests
of this country for the wages wherewith
to pay us for hauling up  and dumping
into  those mouths the products of our
farms.   Would you close those mouths?
Then vote against a "high tariff."
Union Co., Ind. W. C. H.
According to the agricultural report for
Octobor the condition of the corn crop
throughout the United States Is better
than it has been for five years.