1920.] 



Sugar for Fruit Preservtxg. 



for the adverse rate of exchange and shipping difficulties. In 

 spite of this, however, the European demand is the chief feature 

 of the 1 91 9 trade, the three countries named taking no less than 

 2,740, or nearly half of the 5,855 cattle exported ; while 

 Belgium and France had 3,709 out of a total of 8,593 sheep. 

 Though the number of cattle and sheep exported is thus greater 

 than in 191 3, it is probable that there were fewer pedigree 

 animals included amongst them. 



The restrictions on the export of non-pedigree nimals 

 similarly stopped the trade in old low-priced horses to Belgium 

 and Holland. In 191 9 about three-fifths of the exports went 

 to these two countries (5,724 out of 9,057), whereas in 191 3 

 the figm'e amounted to just 53,775 out of 68,632, or three- 

 quarters of the total. Many of the animals sent to Belgium 

 last year were no doubt bought for re-stocking, but their 

 average value, just under £70 a head in the case of both these 

 countries, is so much below the average to France (£240 per 

 head) or to the rest of the world (£175) as to indicate that they 

 included a certain proportion of aged horses. 



:ic * * * * 



Returns received by the Ministry of Food disclose a very 

 heavy demand fo- sugar for domestic fruit preserving, and 

 in view of the limited quantity of sugar 

 ^""prese^vinr^* available, it will only be possible to meet 

 the demand to a hmited extent. 



The basis of allotment will be as follows : — 



{a) In all cases 2 lb. per head in respect of each member 

 of the applicant's household registered for sugar. 



[b) In those cases only where the applicants desire to 

 preserve fruit grown by themselves an additional allot- 

 ment of I lb. of sugar for every 8 lb. of home-grown fruit 

 available for preservation. 



Where retailers' customers fail to take up the sugar allotted 

 to them, it can be re-allotted, at the Committee's discretion, 

 either to persons whose applications were late, or to those of 

 the retailers' customers who find that they have more home- 

 grown fruit for preserving than could be dealt with by their 

 original allotment. 



Special supplies of sugar for jam making during the coming 

 season will be available for greengrocers, fruit growers, and 

 others who during the year ended 31st December, 1915, manu- 

 factured jam in small quantities for retail sale. 



I 



