59o Imports of Agricultural Produce. [Jan., 



poultry, and were valued at £93,100 in 1905 and at £128,100 

 in 1904. 



The imports of sheep or lambs' wool steadily declined, from 

 1901 to 1904, but the past year saw a check to this diminution 

 in quantity and a return to nearer the level of the year 1903. 

 Many of the contributing countries show an increase, particu- 

 larly Australia and Argentina, together with a decided rise in 

 value. Out of the total of 615,709,000 lb., Australia sent 

 253,373,000 lb. compared with 220,483,000 lb. last year, and 

 New Zealand sent 139,264,000 lb. as against 133,753,000 lb. in 

 1904. The receipts from France, Turkey, Russia, India, South 

 Africa, and Argentina were all larger than in the two preceding 

 years. In the case of the last-named country the imports were 

 26,675,000 lb., or much above the level of 1904 (13,367,000 lb.). 



The re-exports of foreign wool increased compared with 1904, 

 so that the balance of foreign wool remaining for manufacture 

 in this country was only increased by 29,000,000 lb. The 

 average value of the imports was 9^d. per lb., as compared with 



8|d. in 1904, 8Jd. in 1903, and 7^d. in 1902. 



Table IV. 

 Imports of Grain and Flour. 



Description. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



1904. 



1905. 



1904. 



1905. 



Wheat 



Wheat Meal and Flour 

 Barley ... ... 



Oats 



Oatmeal 



Maize ... 



Maize Meal 



Peas 



Beans ... 



Other Corn and Meal ... 



Cwt. 

 97,782,500 

 14,722,893 

 27,152,300 

 14,097,700 

 648,770 

 42,897,880 

 316,660 

 2,179,506 

 1,862,686 

 1,660,434 



Cwt. 

 97,622,752 



ii»954»763 

 21,426,900 

 17,095,463 



633.I99 

 42,101,210 



459,188 

 2,015,876 

 1,225,050 

 1,712,487 



£ 



34,266,416 

 7,258,600 

 7,161,600 

 3,726,120 



456,593 

 10,247,134 

 1 00, 940 

 767,097 

 577,094 

 513.894 



£ 



35,279,928 

 6,044,745 

 6,017,350 

 4,713.265 



463,293 

 11,034,748 

 144,829 



724,757 

 414,227 

 581,468 



Total 





65,075,488 



65,418,610 



The above table gives the imports of grain and flour. Broadly, 

 it shows that there was a slight decrease in the supply of foreign 

 wheat*, together with a decided diminution in foreign flour ; 

 barley, peas, beans, and maize were also imported in smaller 



