1905.] Imports of Agricultural Produce. 



605 



52s. 4<± per cwt, the value in [1903, to 45s. gd. in the year 

 which has just closed. 



The number of eggs received was somewhat greater than 

 in 1903, but the increase was small compared with that in 

 •several previous years. Russia, the largest exporter of eggs 

 to the United Kingdom, increased her contribution from 

 '6,803,000 great hundreds to 7,033,000 great hundreds. Den- 

 mark, on the other hand, showed a decline from 3,852,000 

 great hundreds to 3,602,000 great hundreds. Germany, Belgium 

 and France, however, increased their supplies. 



Table III. 



Imports of Horses, Poultry, and Miscellaneous Animal Products 



Description. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



1903. 



1904. 



1903. 



1904. 



Horses No. 



Poultry and Game £ 



Lard cwt. 



Tallow and Stearine ,, 

 Wool, Sheep, Lambs lb. 

 Sheepskins r undressed No. 

 Hides* cwt. 



27,266 



1,732,790 

 1,395,174 

 599,500,932 

 17,084,812 

 493, 74$ 



18,491 



1,830,837 

 1,758,074 

 561,706,689 

 15,081,814 

 449,625 



£ 



631,255 

 1,202,288 



3,870,774 

 1,987,892 

 20,622,523 

 1,736,805 

 1,229,727 



£ 



457,828 

 1,217,176 



3,342,395 

 2,249,445 ! 

 20,366,930 

 1,577,402 

 1,106,454 



* Does not include dry hides. 



There has been a considerable drop in the imports of horses 

 iin recent years, as many as 51,786 being received in 1900 

 Since then the number has been steadily declining and only 

 reached 18491 in 1904, a figure lower than in any year since 1893. 



Wool again shows a decrease, chiefly attributable to a 

 falling off of 20 million lb. in the receipts from the River Plate 

 and of 21 million lb. from New Zealand. The re-exports 

 declined from 284,572,000 lb. to 251,715,000 lb. so that the 

 balance of foreign wool remaining for manufacture in this 

 •country only diminished by about 5 million lb. The average 

 value of the imports was nearly 8Jd. per lb. as compared with 

 &£d. in 1903 and 7 id. per lb. in 1902. 



Turning to Table IV., which shows the imports of grain 

 and flour, a substantial increase is observable in the receipts 

 of wheat-grain, accompanied by a reduction in the imports 

 of flour. Taken together they were equivalent to 118,262,000 

 vcwt. of wheat, which is one and a half million cwt. more than 



