FARM MANAGEMENT 173 



formed more than 50 per cent of the total shipments of farm prod- 

 ucts from all noncontiguous possessions. In 1909 the value of the 

 sugar sent to the United States from these possessions was $58,000,- 

 000, manila fiber $7,000,000, fruit $2,500,000, and tobacco $1,- 

 000,000. 



Shipments of forest products to the United States from its non- 

 contiguous possessions in 1909 were valued at $118,000, more than 

 half of which represented gums and lumber from the Philippine 

 Islands. The shipments of timber from Hawaii were valued at 

 $45,000. (Bu. Stats. B. 82.) 



Exports of Farm Products 1851-1908. The value of exports 

 of domestic farm products from the United States increased from an 

 average of $150,000,000 in 1851-1855 to $875,000,000 in 1901-1905. 

 The largest exports were in 1907, amounting to $1,054,000,000, and 

 the lowest in 1865, when the amount was only $85,000,000. The 

 value of exports of domestic merchandise other than farm products 

 has increased even more rapidly, as is shown by the relative impor- 

 tance of farm products in the total exports. During 1851-1855 farm 

 products constituted four-fifths of the total exports and in 1901-1905 

 only three-fifths. 



Exports of foreign merchandise are relatively unimportant as 

 compared with those of domestic merchandise. The total exports of 

 the former class in 1908 were only $26,000,000, of which $10,000,- 

 000 were farm products. 



Contrary to the tendency shown in domestic exports, the rela- 

 tive importance of farm products in the imports has increased dur- 

 ing the last half century. In 1851-1855 farm products constituted 

 28 per cent of the total merchandise imported, and in 1901-1905 47 

 per cent; 51.5 per cent, for the highest five-year period, was reached 

 in 1876-1880 and in 1891-1895. 



From 1851 to 1897, inclusive, the domestic farm products ex- 

 ported exceeded in value those imported except in 1864 and 1865, 

 and the exports of domestic merchandise other than farm products 

 in each of these forty-seven years was less in value than the imports. 



Beginning with 1898 each of these two classes of merchandise 

 has in each year shown a balance in favor of exports, with the ex- 

 ception of 1903, when merchandise other than farm products was 

 imported more largely than exported. The excess of exports of farm 

 products in each of twenty-three years during the fifty-eight years 

 was sufficient to overcome an excess of imports in the trade in other 

 merchandise. The largest excess in exports over imports of all mer- 

 chandise was $666,000,000 in 1908, and the next largest was $665,- 

 000,000 in 1901. 



The average annual values of domestic agricultural products 

 exported from the United States during the five years, 1901 to 1905, 

 inclusive, were for each man, woman and child in this country dur- 

 ing that period (i. e., the per capita values) as follows: Cotton, 

 $4.17; wheat, including flour, $1.63; canned, cured, and fresh 

 pork, $0.82 ; lard, $0.61 ; corn, $0.54 ; canned, cured, and fresh beef, 

 $0.46; live cattle, $0.45; tobacco, $0.37; cotton-seed oil, $0.17; cot- 



