26 



The Oats Supply of the United Kingdom. 



above, the foreign ratio would appear to be practically 

 stationary ; but in this connection it may be observed that 

 maize has to some extent displaced oats as a fodder for 

 horses, especially in the large towns. 



Until last year Russia was our principal purveyor of oats . 

 but in 1897 she for the first time ceded a posiiion she had 

 occupied for a quarter of a century to the United States, 

 whence we received 2,900,000 qrs. out of a total importa- 

 tion of 5,786,000 qrs. Only on four occasions previously 

 had the latter country made a noticeable contribution to 

 the imports, viz., in 1885, 1890, 1892, and 1896; in the 

 first three of those years her shipments to British ports did 

 not exceed 923,000 qrs., although in the remaining year 

 they amounted to 1,634,000 qrs. Russia, on the other 

 hand, for twenty-five years prior to 1897 seldom furnished 

 less than 50 per cent, of the foreign supply, and in some 

 years her share amounted to as much as 90 per cent. The 

 smallest quantity with which she is credited in our trade 

 accounts during that period is 1,749,000 qrs. in 1873, when 

 the total quantity imported from all sources was 4,275,000 qrs.; 

 the largest is 5,816,000 qrs., in 1888, out of a gross importa- 

 tion of 6,738,000 qrs. 



Sweden held for a considerable time the second place 

 among the foreign competitors in the trade in cats ; during 

 tlie past two years, however, she has been reduced to the third 

 rank by the increasing competition of the United States. For 

 fifteen years before 1888 the quantity of Swedish oats im- 

 ported annually into this country usually oscilla,ted between 

 1,077,000 qrs. and 1,61 5,000 qrs.: it rose once to 1,696,000 qrs., 

 but tliis rise was immediately succeeded by a fall to 

 867,000 qr;5. Since 1887 there has been a remarkable dimi- 

 nution in the supply of Swedish oats in our m^arkets. In 

 eight of the ten years which have elapsed her annual ship- 

 ments to this country have ranged only from 287,000 qrs. to 

 610,000 qrs.; in the remaining two years, 1891 and 1893, they 

 were 916,000 qrs. and 1,037,000 qrs. respectively. 



Among other Continental countries which compete in this 

 trade are Germany, Holland, Denmark, and France ; but the 

 supplies from these sources fluctuate considerabh', and have 



