FAILURE OF CROPS IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA.

The failure of the crops in many of the provinces of European Russia is a much more serious affair than is generally admitted. Nowhere has it been more complete than in the province of Cherson, which has within its borders the two largest exporting ports in the Russian Empire-Odessa and Nicolaiev. During the famine year of 1891-92 this province suffered severely, though not as much as at present. The famine year found the peasant farmers without any reserve stock of grain, and consequently without seed for future. sowing or the means of subsistence until the next harvest. Their distress, however, had been provided for by the erection of storehouses in the peasant villages, in which every house owner had been obliged to place a certain quantity of grain for eventual public alimentation. Later on, the system was found to be inconvenient, and the grain was sold and the proceeds invested in interest-bearing bonds. Thus was formed the so-called "fund for the public alimentation." During the critical condition of affairs in 1891, the administrations of the districts purchased grain and distributed it to the peasants at cost price for food and sowing purposes, and a time was stipulated for the repayment of this relief.

This year, a conference has been called in this province (Cherson) to take measures to deal with the situation. The questions to be considered are the degree of failure in each district separately, the seed necessary for sowing the fields, the amount of Government assistance which will be required during the year, and the amount of cash in the public alimentation and other funds at the disposal of the administrations for relief purposes. I am glad to be able to state that the amount of food supplies and funds on hand and available is quite large, amounting to more than 2,000,000 rubles ($1,028,ooo) at the present time. These funds will be applied to the purchase of grain for seed and also to the relief of distress. these funds, the province has another means at its disposal which will largely help to alleviate suffering. This is the organization of public works. A special fund has been kept in this province for the purpose of giving employment to peasants, under circumstances which the present year presents. The fund for the purpose is not large; still, it will be of service. The road-making fund will also be brought into requisition. Russian rural roads are perhaps the worst in the world, and Russian military roads the best.

In addition to

A very important question to be solved is how the working stock

and other animals are to be saved, the hay crop being a complete failure. Hay and fodder is now at such a price as to be beyond the reach of the peasant farmer. Horses and oxen are being sold far below their value, and evidences of great distress are visible, even at the beginning of summer. Stock raisers, who are among the more wealthy classes, are selling their stock for what they can get. It is not an easy task to sell, and the supply is constantly increasing. THOMAS E. HEENAN,

ODESSA, June 24, 1899.

Consul..

FRENCH WHEAT CROP OF 1899.

The conditions for an abundant crop were most favorable early in the season, but the heavy fall of rain toward the end of June and early in July somewhat modified this prospect.

The north and northeast have suffered most; in the center and south the rain was beneficial, causing the grain to swell. It promises to be heavy and of excellent quality.

The North, Pas de Calais, and especially the Somme (the most productive districts) will suffer a diminution of at least 10 per cent when compared with the yield of last year; in the Aisne and the Oise, there is less cause for complaint. In the departments of the Allier, Cher, Indre, and Indre-et-Loire, in the Vendée and Charente Inférieure, which are next in importance after the Department of the North as grain producers, the yield will be quite equal to that of 1898. Sarthe, Mayenne, Maine-et-Loire, Yonne, Nièvre, the Côte d'Or, a part of Loiret and Eure-et-Loir, form a group which ranks next in importance to the preceding one; the yield in these districts will be less than that of last year.

The south, which had a mediocre harvest in 1898, promises well this year. Dordogne, Gironde, Tarn-et-Garonne, and Lot will yield from 20 to 40 per cent more than during 1898.

If the weather from this period proves favorable to the grain, which has been beaten down by storms in the north, a harvest only slightly inferior to that of last year may be expected. The regions. that have suffered the most are precisely where the yield to the acre is the greatest, and it is in these regions that the falling off will be most felt. This, however, will be almost made up by the yield in regions that are less productive naturally, but which cover an extremely large acreage.

The reserve on hand in the beginning of August will be above the normal. It is not large in the north, but is good in the east, center,

west, and even the south. Taking the Government estimate of 131,000,000 hectoliters (371,778,000 bushels) as a basis, the production may be counted at 125,000,000 or 130,000,000 hectoliters (354,750,000 or 368,940,000 bushels), if the weather is favorable for harvesting. To this estimate 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 hectoliters (34,000,000 to 42,000,000 bushels) may be added as representing the reserve on hand from the last harvest.

ROUBAIX, July 18, 1899.

W. P. ATWELL,

Consul.

TRANSPORTATION FROM MARSEILLES.*

The names of forwarding agents in Marseilles are C. Chanal, 40 rue de la Republique; Flachot & Crotte, 20 Boulevard Maritime; J. Getaz, 40 rue de l'Arsenal; Giraud frères, 42 rue Sainte; Marie Moreau et Cie., 42 rue Sainte A; Puthet et Cie., 6 rue Joseph Autran. The only railway company operating in Marseilles is the Paris, Lyons, and Mediterranean.

The only considerable inland navigation company in the city is the Compagnie Générale de Navigation, 10 Quai de la Tourette. This company does an extensive business between Marseilles and the various cities on the Rhone, and extends its operations via canal. as far as Havre.

The French regular steamship lines attached to the port of Marseilles are as follows:

Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes.

Compagnie Générale Transatlantique.

Compagnie Marseillaise de Navigation à Vapeur.

Société Générale des Transports Maritimes à Vapeur.

Compagnie de Navigation Mixte.

Compagnie Française de Navigation à Vapeur.

Compagnie de Navigation Marocaine et Armenienne.

Compagnie Nationale de Navigation.

Compagnie E. Caillol et S. Saintpierre.

Compagnie E. & M. Castaldi.

Axel Busck & Co.

E. Frisch et Cie.

Compagnie Française de l'Afrique Occidentale.

Amb. Artaud.

*This report was made at the request of a New York export association, which has received Advance Sheets.

A list of foreign companies having regular sailings from this port is annexed:

Compagnie Sevillane (A. & L. Hains, agents)...... Barcelona, Valencie, Alicante, Carthagena, Almeria, Malaga, Cadiz, Seville.

Compagnie Vinuesa de Seville (Ex Espaliu) Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Cadiz, and Seville. (Vidal et Cie., agents).

Compagnie Transatlantique de Barcelone (Vidal et Cie., agents).

Compagnie Valenciana (J. B. et A. Artaud frères, agents).

Barcelona, the Antilles, Mexico, Venezuela,
Colombia.

Barcelona, Montevideo, and Buenos Ayres.
Barcelona, Dakar, Gold Coast, Monrovia, Fer-
nando Po, and Gaboon.

Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Almeria, Aguilas, and Malaga.

Compagnie Ybarra de Seville (Rodrigues Ély❘ Marseilles to Bilbao, stopping at principal Span

(Watson & Parker, agents).

Kurrachee.

The Persian Gulf Steamship Company (Savon Regular service between London and Marseilles, frères, agents).

Port Said, Bunder Abbas and Bushire, Bassorah, Bagdad, etc., and vice versa.

Compagnie Puglia (Gondrand frères, agents)....... Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, Messina, Catania, Brin

The regulations of the port of Marseilles are as follows:

ARTICLE I. Vessels under flags, entirely or partially loaded, coming from foreign ports or ports in French colonies other than Algeria, will pay quay dues in French and Algerian ports according to the following tariff:

One franc (19.3 cents) per net register ton if the total number of net metrical

tons (2,204.6 pounds) of goods discharged or loaded is greater than half of the net registered tonnage of the vessel.

Fifty centimes (9.6 cents) per net register ton if the total number of net metrical tons of goods discharged or loaded is equal to or less than half of the net registered tonnage and exceeds the quarter of the said registered tonnage.

Twenty-five centimes (4.8 cents) per net register ton if the total number of metrical tons of goods discharged or loaded is equal to or less than a quarter of the net registered tonnage and exceeds the tenth of said registered tonnage.

66

Ten centimes (1.9 cents) per net register ton if the total number of metrical tons discharged or loaded equals or is less than a tenth of the said registered tonnage. These dues will be reduced by one-half in the case of vessels discharging goods when these vessels come from ports within the limits of 'cabotage internationale" (international coasting), as defined in Article I of the act of January 30, 1893 (i. e., Franco-European trade, including African and Mediterranean ports of the Mediterranean and Black seas). The conditions will be the same for vessels loading goods when such vessels are bound to ports within said limits.

Vessels performing in the same port operations of discharging and loading will be charged separately for such inward and outward operations in accordance with the rates above indicated.

ART. 2. In the case of a steamer calling at successive ports, the quay dues at each port will accrue in accordance with the rules indicated in the first article; but in no case will the total amount of same, payable by vessel on the same voyage, exceed I franc per ton on the net registered tonnage.

These rates are reduced to 50 centimes on vessels complying with the conditions set forth in paragraph No. 6 of the preceding article.

ART. 3. In calculating the operations (of discharging and loading) for tonnage, each passenger landed or embarked will be considered as equivalent to I ton of goods.

The same will be the case for each head of "big" cattle, horses, or mules. Each head of "small" cattle will equal one-fourth of a ton. Passengers' luggage, including their personal provisions for the voyage, will not be taken into account in the making up of the tonnage of the goods discharged or loaded.

ART. 4. The quay dues imposed in the preceding articles will, in Algerian ports, be collected only on goods, passengers, animals, and carriages discharged. ART. 5. The taking in of stores and bunkering will not be considered as commercial operations (i. e., will not of themselves incur payment of quay dues).

ART. 6. Are annulled: Article 6, of the act of January 30, 1872; article 7, of the act (finance) of July 29, 1881; and the first paragraph of the act (finance) of December 28, 1875.

MARSEILLES PORT DUES.

Pilotage, 10 to 15 centimes (1.9 to 2.8 cents) per net registered ton of vessel. Prices vary according to distance at which pilot takes ship, and is same for inward and outward bound ships.

Health office dues, 10 centimes (1.9 cents) for coasting ships and 15 centimes (2.8 cents) for long-voyage ships per net registered ton. Octroi dues are a municipal tax on the consumption of food stuffs on board ship while in port. The amount depends upon the number of crew and length of stay in port. The charge is estimated and runs from 30 to 100 francs ($5.79 to $19.30).

Fire guardian, 2 fancs (38 cents) per night.