18 



BULLETIN" 296, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Bladders. — Imports of bladders, except fish, during the last four 

 years have been valued at $38,129 in 1911, $41,954 in 1912, $96,237 in 

 1913, and $52,336 in 1914. Canada and Germany have been the source 

 of more than half of this article during the last five years. 



Rennets. — For the last 20 years the imports of rennets were valued 

 at an average of $96,205 annually. Denmark supplied an annual 

 average of $70,719, or 73.5 per cent. This product first appeared 

 in the import trade of the United States in 1876, when the value 

 amounted to $16,441. For the last five years the annual imports 

 were $92,459 in 1910, $111,609 in 1911, $102,142 in 1912, $129,557 in 

 1913, and $129,720 in 1914. 



OTHER ANIMAL PRODUCTS. 



WOOL. 



The exports of wool from the United States since 1852 have been in 

 negligible quantities, the exports for that year being 55,550 pounds. 

 The largest quantity exported for any one year was in 1896, the 

 exports being nearly 7 million pounds. For 1901 and subsequently 

 the exports have averaged only a few hundred thousand pounds 

 annually, decreasing to so small a figure that it was not separately 

 shown in the customs returns for 1911 and 1912, and amounted to 

 335,348 pounds in 1914. 



As an importing country for wool during the 10 calendar years 

 1904-1913 the United States held fifth place among the countries of 

 the world. The five leading countries importing wool were : France, 

 555 million pounds ; United Kingdom, 487 million pounds ; Germany. 

 458 million pounds; Belgium, 217 million pounds; and the United 

 States, 198 million pounds. Our wool imports during the fiscal year 

 1840 amounted to nearly 10 million pounds. This was almost doubled 

 in 1850 and continued to increase until during the last 20 years the 

 imports have been approximately 200 million pounds annually. The 

 annual production for the latter period has been close to 300 million 

 pounds; thus the consumption of wool in the United States during 

 that time has been about 500 million pounds annually, or about 5 

 pounds for each individual. The annual average imports of wool 

 during the five years 1895-1899 were 199 million pounds; 1900-1904, 

 155 million pounds; 1905-1909, 209 million pounds; 1910-1914. 208 

 million pounds. As a source of supply for imports of wool eight 

 countries have supplied the greater portion during the last 20 years. 

 The supply from those eight countries during the 15 years 1895-1909 

 was 90 per cent of the wool imported, but for the last five years, 

 1910-1914, only 87 per cent came from those countries. As a source 

 of supply the United Kingdom held first place, supplying 41.1 per 

 cent during the five years 1895-1899, 34.2 per cent during 1900-1904, 

 30.7 per cent during 1905-1909, and 33.1 per cent during 1910-1914. 



