'602 



Imports of Agricultural Produce. [jan., 



or five years to reach maturity. The eggs are laid separately 

 and resemble hens' eggs in shape, and have a very thick 

 skin. Usually only six or seven are laid at a time. These bene- 

 ficial slugs can at once be recognised by the external shell. 



F. V. Theobald. 



IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN 1904. 



The following tables, which have been compiled from the 

 Trade and Navigation Accounts, show the quantities and value 

 of the principal articles of agricultural produce imported into 

 the United Kingdom during the past year. 



The imports of cattle in 1904 reached a higher number than 

 in any year since 1898, and there was also some recovery in the 

 number of sheep. The two countries from which our supplies 

 of live animals are at present mainly derived are the United 

 States and Canada, though a small number of cattle come 

 from the Channel Islands, and sheep are also received from 

 Iceland. The past year saw a substantial increase in the 

 imports of cattle from the United States, but this was to some 

 extent counterbalanced by smaller receipts from Canada. 

 Comparison with the year 1903 is, however, somewhat 

 vitiated by the fact that in that year, owing to the closing, in 

 consequence of foot-and-mouth disease, of some of the 

 United States ports, a proportion of States cattle came to 

 this country through Canada. The receipts from United States 

 ports in 1904 numbered 401,000, and exceeded the totals both for 

 1902 and 1903, whilst those from Canadian ports (146,600) were 

 greater than in any previous year with the exception of 1903. 

 The total weight of beef represented by these imports on the 

 hoof may be estimated approximately at 3,576,000 cwt. The 

 imports of fresh beef were also characterised by a rise in 1904, 

 but in this case the country contributing to the increased supply 

 was not the United States but Argentina, which sent us 

 1,675,000 cwt, compared with 1,152,000 cwt. in 1903. The 

 extension of the fresh meat trade with Argentina has, it may be 

 noted, been very rapid during the past few years, the cattle 

 which were formerly exported for slaughter on arrival at British 

 ports being now killed and exported to this country as 

 refrigerated meat. The declared value of the fresh beef imported 

 was 37s. per cwt., as compared with 40s. 3d. in 1903, and 42s. 8d. 



