436 KEPOKT OF THE COilMISSIONER OF AGRICULTUKE. 



It will probably prove a surjDrise to most readers to find that, while 

 the princely sum of $107,539,4-58 is taken for domestic animals and 

 their products, more than half of it. to wit. $5^.207.181, is paid out 

 for animals and their products produced in foreign countries, be- 

 sides a few millions more for ocean and inland transportation and 

 commissions on the same jjroperty. The largest item is hides ($26,- 

 699,313). Imports of manufactured leather are nearly 812,000,000 

 more. This is the more remarkable, as this country far excels any 

 European country in number of farm animals iji proxjortion to popu- 

 lation. It is doubtless a further attestation of the obvious fact that 

 our people are unusually well shod and that the uses of leather are 

 rapidly increasing. 



Another annual product which a million farm or ranch proprie- 

 tors in the United States are engaged in producing was imported last 

 year to the value of $16,746,081, mostly from the South American 

 pampas and Australian sheep-walks. Eggs, a food that could be in- 

 creased a hundred fold, are among the year's imports to the number 

 of 16,092,583 dozens, costing $2,173,454. 



The importation of horses is a large item of the past year's trade, 

 amounting to $4,312,636, and numbering 21.062 free of duty and 37,901 

 dutiable. The animals imported free are presumably for the improve- 

 ment of breeds, but really under the letter rather than the spirit of 

 the law as to much the larger proportion, to obtain very cheap stock 

 as a foundation for ranch herds, to be gradually improved by infus- 

 ion of domestic blood. Thus there were 13,880 horses brought from 

 Mexico last year, "for breeding purposes," costing $7.49 ea,ch. The 

 real importation for improvement included 5.288 from Canada, at 

 $224.45 each; 1,123 from France, at 8549.93; 698 from Great Britain, 

 at $512.46; and a few from other European countries. The intro- 

 duction ol Mexican bronchos reduces the average of animals im- 

 ported free to $110.19. The dutiable horses were mainly 21.908 from 

 Mexico, valued at 89.40 each, and 15,854 from Canada, at 8111.19. 

 The average of the dutiable horses was $52.55. The exports of horses 

 amounted to only $348,323; in number 1,616, averaging $216 each. 



trainsportatioit rates. 



In the monthly statistical reports are joublished current freight rates 

 of railway and steamship transportation companies, to which the 

 reader is referred for details of changes in rates of transportation. 

 These are the regular schedules, but cannot indicate fully the rates 

 actually charged, on account of the special contracts, rebates, and 

 other favors to individual shipi^ers, which are private and confi- 

 dential. 



In this report there is room only for a samjole, scarcely a synopsis, 

 of the rates published, sufficient to show the prices of the season for 

 a few principal products by lakes and ca,nal, and also by rail, from 

 Chicago, by one of several lines, and from New York to "Liverpool by 

 a single line of several regularly reported in the monthly. 



