Sept. 1896.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 219 



Imports of Hides, Wood, and Timber. 



A decrease has taken place in the importation both of wet 

 and dry hides. As regards timber, though the importation for 

 the present year exhibits an increase over 1895, the figures are 

 very comparable with those for 1894. The quantity of wood,, 

 sawn or planed, imported in the first half of that year was 

 1,648,000 loads, or about 150,000 loads less than the present 

 year. About 50 per cent, of this importation comes from Sweden 

 and Norway. 



Description. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



Hides, raw, and pieces thereof : — 

 Dry - 

 Wet - 



Total 



Wood and Timber : — 



Hewn - - - 

 Sawn or split, planed or dressed 

 Staves of all dimensions 



Cwts. 



242,007 

 409,024 



Cwts. 



186,563 

 255,790 



£ 



549,126 

 810,468 



£ 



469,633 

 559,627 



651,031 



442,353 



1,359,594 



1,029,260 



Loads. 



890,458 

 1,080,553 

 40,586 



Loads. 



1,048,498 

 1,802,052 

 57,770 



1,555,943 

 2,419,580 

 200,272 



2,010,728 

 4,008,866 

 292,785 



Total 



2,011,597 



2,908,320 



4,175,795 



6,312,379 



Imports and Exports of Sheep and Lambs' Wool. 



The total quantity of sheep and lambs' wool imported in the 

 first half of 1896 was less by about 44,000,000 lbs, than the 

 quantity imported in the same period of 1895. In the first six 

 months of 1894, however, the total quantity imported was 

 498,432,000 lbs. 



The average value per lb. of the colonial and foreign sheep 

 and lambs' wool received in the six months ended June last 

 works out to 8|d., or about \d. per lb. in excess of the value of 

 the imports of the corresponding six months of 1895. 



The quantities and values of the imports of sheep and lambs' 

 wool are shown below : — 



Countries. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1896. 



From Australasia 



From British Posses- 

 sions in South 

 Africa. 



From British East 

 Indies. 



From other countries - 



Total 



lbs. 

 418,571,693 

 42,370,630 



19,652,970 

 44,680,907 



lbs. 

 353,104,980 

 60,461,000 



23,921,450 

 44,229,585 



£ 



13,929,917 

 1,600,135 



513,424 

 1,423,407 



£ 



12,948,889 

 1,933,672 



642,471 

 1,512,397 



525,276,200 



481,717,015 



17,466,883 



17,037,429 



