502 



Indian Grain Trade. 



;£374,ooo in value, the number of such animals being 392,190, 

 against 372,461 in 1895-6. Horses increased from 25,126 to 

 39,532 ; sheep, however, decreased by about 50 per cent., 

 although the number exported was considerably greater than 

 in any recent year previous to 1894-5. 



The exports of fresh beef, hams and bacon showed an 

 increase of ;£ 1,609,000, whilst butter and cheese increased by 

 over ;£646,ooo. 



The number of eggs sent out of the United States increased 

 from 328,485 dozen to 1,300,183 dozen. 



With regard to fruit and nuts, the total export value was 

 1,61 2,000, or ;£429,ooo more than in the previous year. The 

 increase in the quantity of raw apples exported was consider- 

 able, the figures for 1897 being 1,503,981 barrels, which is one 

 of the largest quantities ever exported in a single year. The 

 price realised does not, however, appear to have been very 

 favourable, as the value is stated at ;£494,ooo, or 6s. yd. per 

 barrel, whereas the average ^alue for the previous five years 

 was I OS. 5d. per barrel. 



The Indian Grain Trade and the Famine. 



In the Review of the Trade of India during the year 

 1896-7, Mr. O'Conor, Director-General of Statistics, states 

 that India imports food grains from external sources on 

 exceptional occasions only, as was the case last year in con- 

 sequence of the widespread failure of the crops. The total 

 importation of grain and pulse amounted to over 1,000,000 

 cwts., and included over 600,000 cwts. of wheat and 123,000 

 cwts. of barley. The corresponding total figure in the 

 previous year was 294,000 cwts. The increase in the supply 

 from external sources was, therefore, not large compared 

 with the demand, and the reason given by Mr. O'Conor is 

 that after the failure of the Indian harvests became known, 

 in October, 1896, the prices of food grains in other countries 

 advanced rapidly, the levels being such as to make importa- 

 tion unprofitable during a great part of the second half of 



