Ohservations on Tasmaniati Statistics. 19 



annually of our chief agricultural products lias been 87,343 

 bushels of wheat, 146,838 bushels of oats, 4751 tons of 

 flour, and 4096 tons of potatoes ; and the average value of 

 these exports has been £261,532. Comparing the average 

 of these years with the exports of 1849, it is worthy of note 

 that the value has increased 119 per cent., while the decrease 

 in the quantity of wheat exported has been upwards of 

 200,000 bushels. There has been an increase, however, of 

 25,000 bushels of oats, 579 tons of flour, and 1093 tons of 

 potatoes. 



Table 13 states the quantity and value of butter and 

 cheese imported and exported for the last ten years ; and 

 shows that the trade in these products of the dairy has 

 shared in tbe general colonial prosperity. In 1851 the 

 value of these imports was £1761 ; in 1852, £5269 ; and in 

 1853, upwards of £17,000. The corresponding exports 

 were, respectively, £4324 in 1851; £7251 in 1852; and 

 £19,548 in 1853. No comparison can be made of tho 

 relative quantities, from the indefinite term "package" being 

 for the most part adopted. It may be, and is most likely, 

 as in the case of grain, that the increased value of these 

 exports is due to the greatly enhanced price of the articles. 



Table 14 states the number of the various descriptions 

 of live stock that have been imported and exported during 

 the past ten years ; and its examination shows that the gold- 

 diggings have produced effects in this instance which have 

 tended to neutralize each other. On the one hand, there 

 have been realized by the colonists since 1851 very high 

 prices for their stock, especially for horses sent to Victoria, 

 many of which have fetched immense sums ; while, on the 

 other, the cattle and sheep imported have been considerably 

 enhanced in cost to the consumers from the great scarcity 

 of meat. 



