March 1895.] EXTKACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR 337 



REPORTS. 



The consequence is that, in many cases, trees are felled the 

 trunks of which either can never be removed from the place 

 where they fall, or have to be shot down the mountain side at 

 some spot where a very large number of them are broken and 

 rendered useless. These are left to rot where they lie and pro- 

 pagate insects which destroy the standing trees. In this con- 

 nexion, a single instance is given as an example of many : on 

 a comparatively small estate in Swanetia, out of 39,500 trunks 

 felled, only 25,030 were removed, and 14,470 were left to rot in 

 the forest. Apparently the only restriction which is observed to 

 any extent is that prohibiting the felling of any trees under 12 

 inches in diameter. 



The following trees are said to be abundant in the Batoum 

 district and along the littoral of the Black Sea in general : 

 various kinds of pines and firs, beecb, hornbeam, maple, Siberian 

 elm, ash, plane, walnut, oak, alder, and boxwood. 



{Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, iVb. 1481. Price l^d.] 



Swiss Trade in Agricultural Products. 



In a report by Lord Vaux of Harrowden on the trade of 

 Switzerland during the year 1893, which was transmitted to 

 the Foreign Office in December last by Mr. F. R. St. John, Her 

 Majesty's Minister at Berne, it is stated that the great drought 

 of 1893 left a deep impression on agriculture, which is so 

 important a branch of Swiss industry. The imports of cattle 

 and pig5 were about half what they had been in 1891, while 

 nearly 1,000,000^. worth of forage and cattle feeding stuffs were 

 imported, against a little more than 500,000^. worth in 1892. The 

 import of fresh meat diminished 43 per cent., preserved meat 30 per 

 cent., and lard 31 per cent. ; on the other hand, the increased 

 export of cattle, and especially of cows, amounted to 12,977 

 head (or 85 per cent.) more than in the previous year. There was 

 also an increased importation of wheat and flour. The price of 

 cattle fell very much, but the good hay crop of 1894 raised 

 it again, and Switzerland is now engaged in buying back the 

 cattle she sold in 1893, but at much higher prices. In the first 

 six months of 1894, 21,829 head of cattle more than in the 

 corresponding period of 1893 were imported. 



The export of dairy produce, which had fallen steadily and 

 considerably from 1885 to 1888, regularly increased since that 

 year, and in 1893 had nearly reached the figure of 1885. In 



1892, it was, indeed, rather above the figure of 1885, while in 



1893, it was slightly below it, and the diminution was due to 

 the lessened export of cheese and butter to France, and of cheese 

 to Italy, while the diminished export to Germany was about com- 

 pensated for by the increase to Russia and Scandinavia. The 



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