OuR Imports of Feeding Stuffs. 



pease the average importation has been 2,750,000 cwts., two- 

 thirds of this quantity being- contributed by Canada and 

 Russia. The average declared value of the beans imported 

 in 1895-97 was 5s. 46.. per cwt., or about 3s. ojd. per bushel; 

 the pease being valued at 5s. yd. per cwt., or 3s. 2^6.. per 

 bushel. Imported beans and pease include some varieties 

 used for culinary purposes, but the quantity so consumed 

 relatively to the total importation is very small : fodder- 

 products preponderate largely in the supply. 



In addition to the grains to which reference has been made 

 in the foregoing paragraphs, there is a small importation of 

 rye, buckwheat, and various meals, some portion of which is 

 used as fodder ; but, in view of the comparatively insignifi- 

 cant dimensions of this trade, it is not proposed to take these 

 articles into consideration. 



In ordinary seasons foreign hay commands only a small 

 market in this country ; the average imports since 1895 have 

 been at the rate of 115,000 tons annually, the principal 

 sources of supply being Holland, France, Germany, the 

 United States, and Canada. The average import value is 

 about £^ 7s. per ton. 



The next important class of feeding-stuffs consists of oil- 

 cakes and oil-seeds. Of the former, the average importa 

 tion in the past few years has been roughly 300,000 tons, 

 of the declared value of 1,700,000. Over two-thirds of 

 this quantity consists of linseed cake and the remainder is 

 made up chiefly of cotton-seed cake. The United States 

 furnishes about one-half of the total supply of cake, and 

 Russia contributes the greater part of the remainder. In 

 the case ot cotton-seed cake the consignments from the 

 United States form about 70 per cent, of the total importa- 

 tion, and Egypt ranks as the second source of supply. 

 Imported oil- seeds are largely employed in the manufacture 

 of cakes and feeding-meals, after the greater part of the oil 

 has been extracted for other purposes. In the Trade Returns 

 the quantities of linseed and of rape-seed imported are shown 

 in quarters, but the entries of cotton-seed are given in tons. 

 The average quantity of linseed imported annually for the 

 three years 1895-97 was about 2,152,500 quarters, which, at 



