164 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of tne exports of agricultural products, <J-c. — Continued. 

 EE CAPITULATION, 



Our agricultural exports were nearly 80 per cent, iu value of Ibe total 

 domestic exports, agaiiist 74 per cent, in 1875. Tlieir actual increase 

 invalue was $37,542,438, or nearly 8 per cent., while the total domestic 

 export increased only $1,801,439, or less than one-third of 1 per cent. 

 An increase is noted in all the leading branches, except wood and its 

 products, which fell off about G per cent. Animal matter increased over 

 percent., though living animals fell off considerably, Bacon, hams, 

 leather, and tallow show an increase of over $12,000,000, while beef, 

 butter, and cheese declined about $2,000,000. Breadstuffs increased 

 nearly. $20,000,000, the leading items of increase being nearly 80,000,000 

 in corn and corn-meal, and $9,500,000 in wheat and Hour. Oats, rye, 

 and rye-flour fell off" nearly half, amounting to but little over a half mill- 

 ion of- dollars. Barley, always a small export, shovrs a considerable 

 increase. Haw cotton barely held its own, while manufactures of cot- 

 ton nearly doubled in value. The export of uncolored goods rose from 

 21,224,020 yards in 1875 to 59,319,207 yards in 1870 ; the aggregate value 

 from* $2,313,270 to $5,314,738. Miscellaneous matter increased about 

 9 per- cent. The leading items of increase are found in hops, distilled 

 spirits, oil-cake, seeds, starch, refined sugar, and manufactures of hemp 

 and tobacco. Cordage, fruits, brown sugar, tobacco leaf, and vegetables 

 show a decline. 



Comparing the figures of the six years embraced in the recapitulation 

 above, wo find that the proportion of agricultural matter to the total 

 domestic export has gradually risen from 70 per cent, in 1871 to nearly 

 80 per cent, in 1870, with a decline to 74 per cent, in 1875, but after de- 

 ducting the preciou.s metals, the proportion will bo found to be uni- 

 formly about five-sixths of the remainder; animal matter rose from 

 less than 12 per cent, of the agricultural export in 1871 to over 22 per 

 cent, in 1870 ; breadstuffs from 20 to 2ji per cent., reaching in 1874 

 nearly 30 per cent. ; cotton fell from about 00 per cent, to 30 per cent. ; 

 wood, with its products, has ranged bctv/een 4 and 5^ per cent. ; mis- 

 cellaneous matter, between 7o- per cent, and 10 per cent. 



FLOUIi AND GilAlN MOVEMENTS. 



EXPORT TRADE. 



The steady growth of our export trade in cereals marks an important 

 change in the production of the civihzed world. For several years there 

 has been a growing deficiency in the brcadstuff'-crops of some European 

 CQimtries. The development of international communications and of 

 close commercial relations between the different states of that continent 



