Sept. 1896.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 211 



1,005,344 cwts., as against 841,000 and 914,000 cwts. in the 

 corresponding periods of 1895 and 1894 respectively. 



The increase in the importation of fresh mutton was due 

 almost entirely to the heavier consignments from Australasia 

 and Argentina. From the former we received 1,067,290 cwts., 

 compared with 886,748 cwts. in the first half of 1895 while the 

 quantity of Argentine mutton entered amounted to 411 ,143 cwts. 

 or nearly 72,000 cwts. more than in the corresponding six 

 months of last year. 



The imports of salted beef in the first half of 1896 recovered 

 their drop of last year and were about 29,000 cwts. in excess of 

 the receipts of 1895. The increase came from the United States, 

 whence the shipments amounted to 127,735 cwts. as against 

 98,494 cwts. last year. 



There was a marked development in the imports of Canadian 

 bacon, which amounted to 128,000 cwts., while in the periods to 

 the 30th Jane 1895 and 1894 the consignments from Canada 

 weighed 50,000 cwts. and 51,000 cwts. respectively. 



An augmentation was also recorded in the receipts of bacon 

 from Denmark, the imports having been 619,000 cwts., in the 

 first half of the present year, and 452,000 cwts., and 393,000 

 cwts. in the corresponding periods of 1895 and 1894 respectively. 

 The importation of hams from Canada and the United States 

 has increased in recent years : 58,000 cwts. of Canadian hams 

 entered this country during the period under review as against 

 16,000 cwts. and 12,000 cwts. during the similar periods in 1895 

 and 1894 ; while the weight of hams received from the United 

 States was 623,000 cwts. in the first six months of this year, 

 compared with 594,000 cwts. and 538,000 cwts. in the first six 

 months of 1895 and 1894. The details of this group of imports 

 were as under : — 





Quantities. 



Values. 



Description. 



First Six 



First Six 



First Six 



First Six 





Months of 



Months of 



Months of 



Months of 





1895. 



1896. 



1895. 



1896. 





Cwts. 



Cwts. 



£ 



£ 



Salted beef 



100,926 



129,821 



132,461 



164,926 



„ pork (not hams) - 



109,435 



131,427 



148,939 



158,045 



Bacon - - - 



2,030,249 



2,175,631 



3,821,890 



3,711,600 



Hams - - - - 



611,130 



683,300 



1,337,134 



1,421,146 



Meat, preserved otherwise than 



355,705 



352,376 



883,170 



873,736 



by salting. 











Meat, unenumerated, salted or 



141,189 



150,665 



293,240 



299,971 



fresh. 











Total 



3,348,634 



3,623,220 



6,616,834 



6,629,424 



O 93016. G 



