1909.] Imports of Agricultural Produce in 1908. 747 



Argentina (31,680,000 cwt.), United States (27,123,000 cwt.), 

 Canada (14,442,000 cwt.), Russia (4,610,000 cwt.), and Aus- 

 tralia (5,518,000 cwt.). India, which is usually a leading 

 exporter, sent less than 3,000,000 cwt. The receipts of flour 

 from the United States were maintained at nearly the same 

 level as in the two preceding years, 9,781,000 cwt. coming 

 from this source compared with 9,325,000 cwt. in 1907 and 

 9,809,000 cwt. in 1906. 



The average value of wheat was nearly 8s. $d. per cwt., or 

 gd. higher than in 1907, and is. $d. above the value of 1906. 



The importation of barley was somewhat less than in 1907. 

 and stood at a lower figure than in any year since 1900. 

 The principal contributors were Russia (8,416,000 cwt.), 

 Turkey (2,733,000 cwt.), Roumania (1,566,000 cwt.), and the 

 United States (1,865,000 cwt.). 



Oats amounting to 14,271,000 cwt. were imported in 1908 

 as against 10,485,000 cwt. in 1907. Russia (3,799,000 cwt.) 

 and Germany (3,991,000 cwt.) were the two chief sources of 

 supply, practically nothing coming from the United States, 

 which in some years figure in the returns to a substantial 

 extent. A noticeable feature was the large import from 

 "Other countries" (unspecified), which amounted to 5,950,000 

 cwt. A considerable portion of this came from Argentina, 

 which has recently assumed a position of importance in this 

 trade. 



The supply of maize (33,841,000 cwt.), on the other hand, 

 was decidedly small, and it is necessary to go back as far as 

 1893 to find a year in which the importation fell as low as it 

 did in 1908. Argentina was the only country which main- 

 tained its exports, Russia, Roumania, the United States, and 

 Canada all furnishing diminished quantities. 



The total value of the grain and meal of all kinds imported 

 was ;£7 2 >735>ooo as compared with ^75,409,000 in 1907. 



Fruit and Vegetables. — The imports of fruit and vegetables 

 call for little remark. Potatoes were received in smaller 

 quantities than in the previous year, but the total was still 

 considerable. France sent 3,147,000 cwt. as compared with 

 2,997,000 cwt. in 1907, while the Channel Islands supplied 

 less (1,207,000 cwt. as against 1,947,000 cwt.). The receipts of 

 tomatoes showed little variation. 



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