Supply or Food In England.
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From London Economist, Sept. 27.1


II Is not our wish to create any alarm; on the con-


trary, what we are about to say will rather have the


effect of aaying the apprehensions that have attend


ed a sudden rise In the price OF wheat in single


week OF five shilllngs the quarter in this country


accompanied, as It has been, by the very unusual
fact that continental buyers are now in our markets.


purchasing our bonded grain for their own pressing


necessities But while we are able to discover many
circumstances that mitigate share OF the danger


in which Europe at this moment stands, If not OF


tual famine, yet OF considerable want, during the


coming year, it would betoken the most criminal
apathy were we to overlook and disregard the eau
ses, rather accidental than otherwise, to which our
more favorable position is to be attributed


We are willing to admit that there are at this mo-


meni many circumstances calculated to create alarm


IN this country as to the suficiency OF the present


harvest to supply the wants OF the country until the


autumn OF next year. There is now no doubling


the fact that, excepting in some of the most favora-


bic situations, the wheat crop of the present year.


even where comparatively well secured, is defective


in weight to the bushel; and that, moreover, larger
portion OF the crop IS still exposed ofurther damage
than has been the on the 18th of September for
some years back. But perhaps even more serious
conslderatl0nin relation to the deficiency of wheat


Is now the almost universally diseased state OF the
potato crop; and 1t turns out the greater or less
| damage which has been sustained, in consequence
OF the we. season. by every other description Of ye-
calamity, especially refers to the disease in the
potato crop, be estimated by the present amount of
| the damage. The remarks which we made some
weeks ago, and the quotations which we gave from
the report ofthe American Commissioner Of Patents
| to the last session of Congress, with respect to
similar calamity which visited that country in lS43
and lSi4, and which we regret now to hear has
| again made Its appearance In the present year,
shews that the apparently perfect part of the crop
equally liable to attack after being stored as when In
the. ground. Moreover, was the case In the
United States last year, and has been partially in
this country already in the present season, many
circumstances may arise from injudicious and
careless use OF diseased potatoes which will create
an impression that the use of the root is dangerous
or at least unwholesome, and it may be to cons-
derabe extent banished from family use. This is
contingency which cannot altogether be left out Of
any future view with regard to the supply Of wheat
as such an impression becoming general would
cause considerably increased consumption Of
| bread though, no doubt, such circumstance
would diminish the demand for potatoes, and make
| them more available for the use Of the laboring


classes. Nor we overlook the great rise in price
which has already taken place in rice, one Of the


best substitutes for the potato. 1t is true that that


rise In price, will cause very extensive shipments to


be made from India Tin the United States the crop


has partially ailed); but the earliest period at which


they can arrive will be in March and April OF next
| year.


| In addition, too, We may add, that the import of
flour from Canada IN the present season far, is
considerably less than last year and likely to con-
| tnue comparatively trifiing. The accounts which


we have received this day, inform that the potato
dsease mas Raae Its appearance not only IN Canada
| ted States, the European countries into which the
import is now free, will offer much more advanta.
geous markets for their wheat and -four than this
country by the clrcuitous route of Canada. The
imports from Canada from June Both to the present
day, and the corresponding period Of last year. have
been,


WHEAT IMPORTED FROM CANADA.


| June aoh to September goth. ;. l7s,73i 1874
And further still, the whole imports of wheat and


flour have been much smaller in the present, as are


also the existing stocks in bond than for some years
| past, as the following comparison shows:


FOREIGN WHEAT FLOUR IMPoRrEp


,:,s January to October .s,s7,7s sss,sss


H.: Ill., ::::: sssass ssssss sa,sas asa,sas


lss5. January to Sept'r 20. 3lOe6O i9o7S
II With all these considerations, it cannot be mat


ter OF surprise that considerable anxiety should pre-
| higher price But there are other considerations


which are either overlooked but Imperectly esti-
mated, which will have considerable tendency to


modify these apparent dangers In this country. The


first, which is In some measure generally admitted,
but think scarcely to a sufficient extent, is the
| unusual stock of old wheat which must be in the
country.


In the entire absence of agricultural statistics in
! this country, we have no certain means Ofknowing
the exact amount OF the produce of any one year


But there are many means by which, in Practice es-
Inmates approximatng to the truth may be made OF


the comparative produce, one year with another. In
order properly to estimate present stock it is


necessary to look back to the autumn of 1912, and


consider what have been the crops and the state of
| the market since that time. 1t will be recolected
| that, up to an advanced period in the summer OF
| 1872, very general fear prevailed that the crop


would prove very defective, in consequence Of per-
haps the worst seed time that has been known for
some years. Until the middle of June, prices con-
| lnued high, when the improved prospects Of the
harvest, from the extremely favorable state of the
weather. caused steady and rather rapid reduction.


In the time, however, extensive orders for fo-
nd IN tho
ofthe year, upwards OF three millions of quarters OF


wheat and Hour were imported, in addition to OF


hebest harvests nyIeldand qualltywhich we had ex,


perienced for several years The ruin which followed
in consequence TO the importers of wheat, is still
fresh in the recollection Of ALL The losses in Lon
| don alone were estimated at more than two mll-
lions OF pounds The average price, which was 67s.
lOd per quarter IN Mark Lane the LIST of August,


tell below Sos. in the beginning of l843 and in the
spring OF that year, there were still left in the
houses one million and half Of quarters of foreign
wheat which had not gone out OF the importers


hands. As the harvest Of 1913 approached, consid-
cradle apprehension prevailed from the state of the


weather. Speculation again set in, and the price of
wheat rose to 60s. per quarter. The harvest
fortnight later than usual and general opinion
prevailed that the stocks nearly exhausted In


stead Of there being any ground for such fear, it


afterwards turned out that the stocks from the crop
and large importation of 1912 were really so large,
that, up to January lS44 avery large portion OF all
the wheat brought to the country markets was that
ofthe crop OF 1872 But the alarm Of l343 again had
the effect OF bringing upwards OF million OF
quarters OF wheat and flour in aid of the crop OF that
year, which, though not fine in quality as that of


1872, yet, from the greater breadth sown ultimately
proved equally productive and was of itself at least
equal to the improved consumption Of the year, es-
pecialy if we add to it the million of quarters OF TO-
reign wheat imported that it is impossible 10 es-
tlmate the stock OF old wheat in the country at the
harvest of 1874 to have been less than was in lS43
This brings to the crop Of !S44, which is by far
the most important consideration at the present mo-
ment Considerable difference of opinion prevailed
at the time as to the yield ofthat crop.


There is no doubt that Great Britain produced in
1874 the largest crop Of wheat Of any on record But
IN addition to this enormous crop, we imported no
less than ,3O5 qrs. Of wheat and 9S5 1852 cwts
OF flour very little Of which was consumed pre-
NOUS to the harvest Of last year, and which, there
tore, was an available addition TO the crop And the
large proportion of old wheat which appeared at