Wuchang, Nov. 7.
Soaking "rains throughout central and southern Hupeh during the past four days have brought to en end 2 {wormonth drought which has gone far to dispel the local optimism endered by bumper crops earlier In "the season. While the fret two crops in. this area were harvested. under nearly Ideal conditions, and produced egults said to be the best In the last last years, the beginning of the drought in late August seriously out into the third. crop season and, in 2dditlon,: made wheat production of next, summer a highly problematical consideration, 'A recent shooting trip along the Yangtze between Wuichang and. Yor chow gave the writer an opportunity to see some of the drought conditions at first hand, Outstanding "among the observations has been the effect Of the drought on the bumper coon crop of Hupeh. Local dealers: were Ineteasingly" pessimistic about "the development of the later bolls. fear, Ing Uhat they would not all out, and some dealers revised their estimates September 1 downward by. as much a5 20 per coat.
'While there is still a.ecord crop, it, would appear from questioning In Klayu and Shint! among doolers that this' downward revision of these cxtimates Is generally being accepted, Watidng through the fields just above Kilayu the reduction in ale and fullness of the leter bolls on the plants was clearly evident, tu some eases, only a quarter of the boll had filled, while in others not more than half the boll had developed, Furthermore, the cotton Abre in these partially filled bolls Is much shorter and of poorer quality general y than that of the first. picking Opinion among' the. farmers the selves. seemed. divided, "Those on some of the higher pieces of ground, where the dryness was frst felt, said Gat "they would have had simest {ivlee as much as they' expect to nally get from their crops. Others the "lower plots" were more optimistic In fecting that their crop had "only slightly' decreased, xt Year Less Pr Shit grain. dealers': were rather optimistic on' conditions "at present While' agresipa that lie next year "Blumpar, eropa both of wheat aad. Hee Yeas key Lobe ts prespmus hyped Hae beloved tug severity of the: depression sot the' past few 'Years for the farmers ud Tess favour blo forecasts forthe' future. have lees Which increases' dealer profits Faplaly. ImKlayu fe day reported, Rowaves; that wherever attempts had Geen. made to obtain: third crops. of almost complete allure cesulte.
'Investigation ofthe: bean' crop various points along this area proved to be voxtremely interesting. While the silks and follego of. the. plants Memselves suva premise of unusually yields, by pening tha pods of plants tine small withered beans spoke dloquéntiy of insuflclent Molrure. to -permit their. normal iting Crushing several of them, the tual ally pulp of the. normal bean was moat entirely absent, 2 newly dry mixture appearing. In" is stead. One member of ths partys'a dealer in this commodity, felt that if the whole trap was similar to Une sembles, early oporto of exceptional crops must Certainly' be subetanitally reduced, of normal due to the almost complete failure of the third crop, While there are these rather sober= Ing considerations present in the local market,. dealers in all kinds /merchandise are generally agreed that trade this year is the best in several years." Cloth merchants In particular Feport important Increases in their autumn sales, Talking with ohe manager: of a large Hankow cloth shop recently, this man said that his sales, both locally and for shipment. Into the Interior towns, were from two to three times' those of the past three The owner of a general merchandlsing hong reported much more business than last year, but felt that the cal increase in his business is yet Children Die in Wkong Dysentery Epidemic Hongkong, Nov. 13.
A serious epidemic of infantile dysentery is sweeping the colony. Five British children have died in the past 48 hours, while there are scores of other sufferers among foreign children, - The number of Chinese children affected is probably much greater, Mr. G. W. Pope, the Medical Officer of Health, says that the epidemic is very+ slarming—Reuter. fo comic, as most of the cotton and other agricultural products have yet to be sold out of" the godowns "in Which they have been stored for sale and shipment. This latter view: is particularly true of foreign business houses. Most of them depend Felatively complete liquidation of the crops before their sales show effects of a good year, hence It may be some. weeks yet before this buying Power Is thrown fully into the market, During the past ten days, further rises in prices have been teen many of the staple commodities, par-Hoularly In rice and in vegetable oils. There' appear to be several. reasons for this Increase, Aitions, ave, perhaps, primary. consideration.. "Among: the People of the, Wuhan cities, however, Currentrumours' of Impending inter: national' complications' of major portance. have ijiven rise to' food hoarding in many cases. "The rise in Price. of oils has almost. entirely attributed to.this source of buy ug, certain families laying in as much as., a. she.months'. supply. of all, vould appear, however,, thai'in' the event, that: these price increases. are the direct "result of. unfounded rumours, the, gradual slackening.of demand in. overbought; items. will Yegin to show. depression effects on the price level. within. 'a relatively short period of time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.