116 Agricultural Statistics. 



supplies in 11)14 showed a small drop on 1912 and I'Ji;), they 

 were well' up to the average of the five years 1909-1913. In 

 fact, the reduction as compared with 1912 and 1913 was 

 entirely owing to supplies in the first seven months being 

 over 3,000,000 cwt. below the corresponding periods in those 

 years. Imports after the outbreak of war were 47,100,000 cwt.. 

 as compared with 42,700,000 and 51,700,000 respectively, in 

 the last five months of 1912 and 1913. Flour imports in 1914 

 were somewhat below the recent annual shipments, the slight 

 shortage being due to diminished supplies in the war period — 

 only 4,000,000 cwt. being then received, as against an average 

 of 5,000,000 cwt. in the coi-responding months of 1912 and 

 1913. By December, however, they had revived to within 

 10 per cent, of the normal for the time of year. 



The imports of Meat of all kinds in 1914, although surpass- 

 ing even the record total of 1913, suffered a slight check after 

 the outbreak of war, there being only 8,600,000 cwt. received 

 in August to December, as against an average of 9,200,000 cwt. 

 in the same five months of 1912 and 1913. This, however, 

 is possibly partly explained by the very heavy shipments in 

 the first six months of the year, when 12,900,000 cwt. were 

 received, against 10,900,000 cwt. in the corresponding period 

 of 1912 and 1913. Imports more than revived in November 

 and December, in which months a total of over 3,800,000 cwt. 

 were received, as against less than 3,400,000 cwt. in the corres- 

 ponding months of the two previous years. An article, the 

 supplies of which have certainly been curtailed by the war, 

 is the Egg, the imports of which, in the period August to 

 December, 1914, fell by nearly 40 per cent, as compared with 

 corresponding months in 1912 and 1913 — the reduction being 

 principally due to reduced supplies from Russia, and the 

 complete cessation of supplies from Germany and Austria. In 

 November and December an improvement took place, supplies 

 in those two months being only about 540,000 great luindreds 

 (14 per cent.), below the same months in the previous two 

 years. Of the other articles, it must suffice to note that the 

 Butter imports, after the commencement of war, showed a 

 slight reduction, which is reflected in the figures for 1914, as 

 a whole, whereas Cheese continued to arrive in the rather 

 heavier quantities which had been noticeable in the earlier 

 part of the year. 



Russell E. Stanley. 



42, Handforth Road, 



Brixton, S.W. 



