16 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. [Sept. 1896. 



Tiie imports of hay have materially shrunk from the dimen- 

 sions reached in 1894, when the quantity imported in the first 

 six months amounted to 184,735 tons. It is noteworthy that 

 the distant sources of supply, such as the United States, Russia, 

 and Canada, have nearly ceased exporting to us. Holland, 

 France, Germany, and Belgium now contribute the bulk of these 

 imports. 



The increase of nearly 20,000 tons in the imports of straw 

 is largely accounted for by heavier consignments of this article 

 from France. 



Imports of Grain and Flour. 



As regards the foreign supply of grain and flour, it will be 

 seen from the following table that the imports of wheat in the 

 first six months of the current year were about 15 per cent, 

 short of the supply received in the corresponding period of 

 1895 ; and they were slightly above the quantity imported in 

 the first half of 1894, viz., 32,173,000 cwts. 



Beans show a decided decrease, the quantity received being 

 less than for any corresponding period for the last eight years. 

 The imports of maize exceeded those of the first half of 1895 

 by nearly 9,000,000 cwts., and were nearly 2,000,000 cwts. 

 in excess of the large imports of trie first six months of 

 1894. 





Quantities. 



• ; Values. 











Description. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



Wheat 



Wheat meal and flour - 



Barley 



Oats - 



Peas - 



Beans - 



Maize - 



Other kinds of corn and 

 meal. 



Total 





Cwts. 

 39,019,905 

 9,158,580 

 9,212,817 

 7,312,900 

 993,481 

 2,032,758 

 13,822,4 10 



Cwts. 

 33,360,790 

 10,138,090 

 8,725,510 

 6,606,800 

 1,097,740 

 1,451.280 

 22,701,440 



£ 



10,674,148 

 3,752,658 

 2,131,104 

 1,754,217 

 275,611 

 523,359 

 3,409,995 

 292,062 



£ 



9,849,912 

 4,257,967 

 2,191,819 

 1,549,321 

 297,819 

 376,563 

 4,243,766 

 369,337 







22,813,154 



23,136,504 



Wheat and Wheat Meal and Flour. 



The principal countries from which the supplies of wheat, 

 and wheat meal and flour were drawn in the six months under 



