PREFACE. 



V 



fields of production in all foreign countries, so that comparisons 

 may be made. It will be found that we have not stood still in 

 the competitive race, whether as regards the production of sugar, 

 coffee, cocoa, tea, rice, or other staple articles for which there is a 

 demand in Europe. The great increase which has taken place in our 

 imports in some of the principal commodities is shown by the follow- 

 ing comparative figures : 



Ajbticles of Food etc. 





1851. 



1876. 









Cocoa 



lbs. 





20 382 .308 



Coffee 



cwts. 



474 402 



1 341 378 



Tea 



lbs. 



71, 476 ',421 



185,698,190 



Su'^'ar 

 Molasses 



cwts. 



S SSI 07^ 



15 '587 246 





791 78.S 



496 357 





galls. 



2,930,967 



7,953,913 







4,745,244 



10,476,503 



W^ine 







19 969 838 



]VTaize 



cwts. 



7 747 Oil 



39 958 226 



TTlPdl 



59 





7 706 



Rice 



55 



744 «47 



6 48*1 987 



Sa crn 



" 



92 021 



360 .357 



Arrowroot and. tapioca . . 



5? 



16 915 



484 230 





lbs. 



267 462 



1 200 000 



Cloves 



" 



253 438 





Cinuanioii 





530 826 



1 339 508 



Ginger 



55 ^ 



16 503 



62,164 



Nutmegs and. niace . . 



lbs. 



358 320 







55 



3,996,295 



26,059,030 





cwts. 



36,061 



35,710 



Currants and raisins 



55 



982,934 



1,714,445 



Oranges and lemons 



bush. 



800,000 



2,995,328 



Articles for Mantjeactuees 



, ETC. 









qrs. 



712,865 



2,457,348 





tons. 





230,284 





55 



55,076 



190,225 





cwts. 



55,994 



199,431 





tuns. 



11,503 



23,975 







608,550 



864,472 



Coir, yarn, and cordage . . 



55 



82,582 



219,367 





55 



92,755 



300,798 



Gambier and cutch . . 



tons. 



7,220 



26,677 





cwts. 



89,944 



88,680 



Madder and garancine . . 



55 



295,016 



74,535 



The attention which has of late years been given to the culture of 

 tea in India, of coffee in Ceylon and our Indian empire, of tropical 

 fruits for export — the orange, the pine-apple, and the grape, &c., of 

 oil-seeds, and other products, is very remarkable. 



In some cases, as in cotton seed, palm-nut kernels, ground-nuts, and 

 other oil-seeds, new industries have sprung up of great importance 

 to our commerce and manufactures. 



Finally, I may state that having long been extensively identified 



