86o 



Notes on Agriculture Abroad. [Jan., 



The Soy Bean Trade of China. — In continuation of the information 

 as to this trade given in the Journal, December, 1909, p. 735, the 

 following notes from the Report on the 

 Notes on Foreign Trade of China (Foreign Office 



Agriculture Abroad. Reports, Annual Series, No. 4386), will be of 

 interest. 



Although Japan is the destination of most of the beans and bean 

 cake exported from China, one of the most interesting features of the 

 trade of China in 1908 was the commencement of the export on a large 

 scale of the "soya" beans of Manchuria direct to Europe. The port 

 of Dalny, or Dairen as it is now called, is the chief seat of the export 

 for Europe. It is estimated that during the season which began in 

 November, 1908, and closed in June, 1909, over 152,000 tons of beans 

 were shipped from Dairen to Europe, declared mostly for Liverpool, 

 Hull and Bremen. The number of vessels employed for this purpose 

 was 25. During the same period the export of beans from Vladivostock 

 is stated to have been over 143,000 tons, of which 65,000 tons were 

 shipped in June. More than half the quantity shipped from Vladivostock 

 went to the United Kingdom. 



Excellent crops in Manchuria, low prices in gold for the produce 

 and cheap freights made a combination of circumstances favourable for 

 the trade, such as cannot reasonably be expected to occur frequently. 

 The purchase of beans in the interior is stated to be an operation 

 involving no small difficulty and financial risk. However, the prospects 

 for next season's bean trade are, on the whole, bright. Hankow also 

 is the outlet of a great bean-producing district, but in its competition 

 for direct export to Europe it is handicapped by much heavier freight, 

 £1 155. per ton against 195. per ton (rising afterwards to £1 6s.) from 

 Dairen. Moreover, some experimental shipments of Yangtse beans 

 made in the autumn of 1908 turned out unsuccessful, the beans from 

 the damper climate of Central China, although looking just as good 

 as the Manchuria beans when shipped, becoming mouldy on the voyage. 

 An increase in the export of beans is noted also at Chinkiang. 



Bean cake is exported chiefly from Newchwang. The export there 

 increased from some 4,300,000 cwt. in 1907, to some 5,400,000 cwt. in 

 1908, and in spite of an increasing export from Dairen, Japan took 78 

 per cent, of this amount, the same as in the two previous years. 



Chilian Nitrate Combination. — Mr. Consul Hudson, in his Report 

 on the trade of Chili (F. O. Reports, Annual Series, No. 4388), states 

 that the Nitrate Combination was dissolved on March 31st, 1909 (the 

 date on which the working agreement expired), owing to dissatisfaction 

 on the part of certain of the component companies more favourably 

 situated, and producing at a lower cost, at having to submit to their 

 output being considerably restricted so as to allow of the competition of 

 undertakings whose location or constitutional defects render it impossible 

 for them to work profitably under similar conditions ; the effect of the 

 dissolution of the Combine is already apparent in the present increased 

 output of nitrate. Efforts continue to be made by those interested for 

 the renewal of the combination on a more satisfactory basis, which if 

 successful may result in improving prices, thereby improving local 

 trade conditions. But a still more satisfactory solution of the present 

 difficulty would be the discovery of a cheaper method of production, as 



