170 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



movement of this country, wliich looks to very important changes in the 

 near future, and promises a great extension of aa export trade. 



Our exports of maize have assumed great importance within the last 

 few years. The following table shows the quality and value of our ex- 

 ports daring the last fifty-one years by semi-decades : 



The exports of unmanufactured corn up to 1845 were small and fluctu- 

 ating both in quantity and value. The semi-decade ending with 1850, 

 during which the disastrous famine in Ireland occurred, showed an aggre- 

 gate export nearly thirteen times as great as its predecessor, and an 

 average value i>er bushel 50 per cent, greater. The exports of corn- 

 meal more than doubled, and the average value per barrel increased 

 one-third. The excessive demand caused by the famine subsided, and 

 hence the exports in the following semi-decade fell otf nearly half; but this 

 cereal had made a permanent lodgment in the European markets, devel- 

 oping an increased demand. The semi-decade ending with 1876 nearly 

 tripled the exports of its predecessor, while the exports of 1876 amounted 

 to over throe times the average of the previous five years. The con- 

 sumption of this grain for horse and cattle food is rapidly increasing, 

 while even as an article of human diet it is finding new applications. 

 The United Kingdom imported 39,958,226 cwt. of maize in 1876, against 

 20,420,292 cwt. in 1875, the largest previous impox'tation, except in 1872. 

 Increasing shipments are being made to Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Hol- 

 land, Belgium, and France. There has been an increased consumption 

 of maize in Paris and other continental cities, especially for feeding 

 horses* This grain has demonstrated a feeding value for the same money 

 superior to that of oats, hence an increased demand for this cereal is 

 created in the European grain-markets. 



The other cereals show but a small export, and that only in later 

 years. A brief analytical review of our foreign cereal trade during tht 

 last thirteen fiscal years is now presented : 



During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, our exports of grain, in- 

 cluding tlour and meal, reduced to their equivalent in grain, amounted 

 to 128,026,829 Ijushels, (an increase over the previous year of 23 per 

 cent.,) almost equaling the enormous aggregate of 1873-'74. The total 

 declared value of this export was $128,704,980, an increase of 18 per 

 cent. The average value per bushel, compared with the previous year, 

 fell from $i.05i to $1.00^, which was lower than during the last fiscal 

 year before the Var, ^^hen valuet irere reckoned from a gold standard 

 #xo]ii«tyly, T~ AlffW^^ ^hm»ri^i>fc xuropi and the qIoiIbk of tk« Matk- 



