393 



pared with preceding failures, account for this change. The movement 

 of the year is indicated by the importation of 4,500,000 quintals of wheat 

 during the first six months, and the export of 1,500,000 during the re- 

 mainder of the year. The fine barley-crops of Sarthe, Mayence, and the 

 Loire Valley were largely purchased by the English brewers, while less 

 valuable grain was imported from the Danube and Algeria to supply the 

 home demand. 



The British Isles and Belgium largely absorbed the abundant fruit- 

 crop. The export of fresh vegetables was 25 per cent, greater than in 

 1873. Salad and cabbage were shipped by rail even to Eussia. 



The greatest portion of French agricultural products were marketed 

 in England. Of 29,000,000 kilograms of eggs, of poultry, and wild fowl 

 exported, England took 27,500,000; and 28,333,000 kilograms of salt but- 

 ter of a total export of 32,333,000 kilograms. There was also a consid- 

 erable export 5f fresh butter and of cheese ; but at the close of the year 

 the prices of cheese had fallen 10 per cent. ; of eggs, 7 per cent. ; of but- 

 ter, salt and fresh, 6 i^er cent. Milk-products had received a great im- 

 pulse in 1872, but the increased cost of forage, the deficiency of grain, 

 and the ravages of epizootic maladies greatly restricted production, and 

 would have had a still more deiDressing effect but for the strong English 

 demand raising prices. 



Of live stock, the imports of beeves amounted to 24,483 head, against 

 57,623 in 1873 ; and 46,868 cows, against 51,958 in 1873. Of sheep, the 

 imports amounted to 1,139,179, a decrease of 339,572 from 1873. On the 

 other hand, the exports of beeves amounted to 25,358, an increase of 

 6,485 ; and of cows, 24,575, an increase of 5,899. The great scarcity of 

 forage in 1874 emptied the French stables and sheep-folds of all beasts 

 not indispensable for market and farm stock, but choice fat animals held 

 their own remarkably well. 



The average losses from depressions of market-price of different classes 

 of farm-animals, according to the official estimate of the national com- 

 mission, were as follows : Sheep, 9 per cent. ; lambs, 16 per cent. ; beeves, 

 9 per cent. ; bulls, 23 per cent. ; bullocks, 25 per cent. ; cows, 17 per 

 cent. ; heifers, 25 per cent. ; calves, 5 per cent. 



Of horses, the export of 1873 was 22,096, which increased in 1874 to 

 22,680. The average of ten years, from 1862 to 1871, was about 9,000. 

 Light draught-horses are especially in demand by foreign purchasers. 

 France, in 1873, exported 3,886 horses to Germany, and received in return 

 3,023 ; in 1871 this export rose to 4,579, and the import to 3,323. 



The foreign-trade movements of the first six months of 1875 have also 

 been published, from which it appears that the import of cereals had 

 fallen from 196,261,000 francs to' 72,981,000 francs ; wood for building, 

 from 38,000,000 to 29,000,000 ; flax, from 30,000,000 to 28,000,000 ; oleag- 

 inous fruits, from 19,000,000 to 18,000,000 ; guano and other fertilizers, 

 from 20,000,000 to 15,000,000. The export-trade shows an aggregate of 

 41,000,000 francs in wool, a decline of 7,000,000 ; farm-animals fell oft" 

 from 23,000,000 francs to 21,000,000. An increased export is shown of 

 wine of 141,500,000 francs against 122,000,000; of cereals, 121,000,000 

 against 37,250,000; of brandy, 42,000,000 against 18,000,000; of poultry- 

 eggs, 26,250,000 against 22,000,000; of raw sugar, 26,000,000 against 

 19,333,000 in the first six months of 1874. Butter remained nearly sta- 

 tionary, reaching about 38,000,000 francs in both periods under review. 



Alfalfa in Texas. — One of our statistical correspondents, Mr. W. 

 W. Eoss, of Dallas County, Texas, finds that alfalfa admirably with- 

 stands the drought of summer and the cold of winter. He mowed a field 

 three times last season — April 10, May 3, and June 4 — and obtained two 



