38 



ducing more than 300 hectoliters yearly. The amount by 

 which this special tax exceeds the export drawbacks is used as 

 an export premium of 6 marks a hectoliter to free the domestic 

 market of the excess* The immediate result was a great in- 

 crease in export and a rise in price. 



The world's price, however, did not follow that of Germany, 

 for Eoumania and Hungary, as a result of the excellent maize 

 crops, could supply spirits more cheaply than Germany, and 

 exports declined again in 1887. After 1898 they assumed 

 large proportions once more, chiefly because of the Eussian 

 alcohol monopoly, which was extended over 35 provinces in 

 1898. The better prices and good potato crops have led in the 

 last years to a renewed activity, particularly in potato distill- 

 ing, with an increased production, the amount for 1899 being 

 the greatest since 1887. 



From the table giving the product of the distilleries of var- 

 ious classes we are now in a position to ascertain the amount 

 produced by the purely agricultural stills, and thus to gain 

 a still clearer idea of their importance to the German indus- 

 try. Bringing together the product of the country stills, 

 potato and grain, but not including the fruit, we have the 

 following results for the last five years : The product of the 

 agricultural stills for 1894-95 was 2,355,203 hectoliters, 79.8 

 per cent, of the total product; 1895-96, 2,852,980 hi., 85.5 

 percent.; 1896-97, 2,618,319 hi., 84.4 per cent; 1897-98, 

 2,798,196 hi., 85.1 per cent; 1898-99, 3,347,386 hi., 87.7 per 

 'cent The farmers of Germany, according to this, produce 

 from materials raised by themselves over 80 per cent of all 

 the spirits distilled in the country, and all the residues from 

 this, the chief branch of the industry, after being fed to great 

 herds of cattle, return to the soil. But in addition to the 120 

 million marks coming to the farmers yearly from the sale of 

 thei* alcohol, there is also the demand of the industrial dis- 

 tillers, who are among their best customers for potatoes, rye, 

 barley and other products. 



An estimate of the money value of the materials taken 

 from agriculture and returned to it by the distillers is inter- 



