792 



FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



during 1882 was 552,144, against 362,316 florins in 1881, and 305,881 

 florins in 1880. 



The commerce in crude tartar or argols has become very important of 

 late years ; the exports amount annually to over 1,000,000 florins. The 

 following table gives the quantities and values of the imports and ex- 

 ports during the last five years, 1878- ? 82 : 



The shipments of argols were made almost entirely to or through Ger- 

 many, amounting in 1882 to not less than 11,188 metrical centners. Con- 

 siderable quantities of these, however, were in transit to the United 

 States, as the value of the invoices of argols authenticated by the con- 

 sular officers in Austria-Hungary during the last three years shows large 

 increase, being as follows : In 1881, $174,537 ; in 1882, $254,041 ; and in 

 1883, $342,445. 



PRICES AND CONSUMPTION. 



The average import and export prices of wines, as estimated by the 

 Central Commission, are respectively about 40 florins and 20 florins per 

 hectoliter, being equal to $1.60 and 80 cents per gallon. 



The prices at the vineyard cellars generally run from 12 to 15 florins 

 per hectoliter for the ordinary red and white wines, and from 25 to 40 

 florins for the finer qualities. 



The prices at which the various wines are retailed for consumption 

 are so varied as almost to defy any approximate average price ; but it 

 must range somewhere between 75 kreutzers and 1 florin per bottle, con- 

 taining about four- fifths of a quart, to the end that the average price 

 of a gallon of wine in Austria-Hungary may be set down at $ 1 *50. 



The average annual production of wine during the last five years is 

 given at 6,954,934 hectoliters, the importation at 60,088 hectoliters, and 

 the exportation at 482,259 hectoliters, leaving for consumption an an- 

 nual average of 6,532,763 hectoliters, equal to 172,595,598 American 

 wine gallons. 



If, therefore, the average price stated above be not excessive, which 

 can hardly be the case, the total annual average value of th consump- 

 tion of wine in Austia-Hungary amounts to $259,000,000, equivalent to 

 a pro rata of $7 per year for each inhabitant. If to this amount we 

 add the value of the beer annually drunk in Austria Hungary, 12,000,000 



