154 



Imports of the Cereal Year. 



Argentina furnished 933,000 quarters, or more than treble 

 her contribution of the previous year. Eastern Europe, on the 

 other hand, is credited with only 2,407,000 quarters, as against 

 5,234,000 quarters in the preceding twelve months ; for this 

 decline Russia is responsible to the extent of 1,300,000 quarters, 

 while smaller consignments from Roumania and Turkey 

 account for the remaining deficiency of 1,400,000 quarters. 

 Another feature of the grain import accounts of the year 

 just closed is the diminution in the supply of oats and maize, 

 the decrease shown in each case being roughly equivalent 

 to 1,000,000 quarters. In the case of oats the contraction 

 was due to a great reduction of Russian shipments, which 

 larger supplies from the United States failed to counter- 

 balance. Russia was formerly our principal purveyor of * his 

 cereal, but during the past year she has ranked second, 

 the United States occupying the premier position. The drop 

 in the imports of maize is accounted for by considera,bly 

 reduced consignments from Argentina. 



A comparison of the entries of butter, cheese, and margarine 

 in the two years included in the above table exhibits few 

 changes of any importance ; but the receipts of condensed 

 and preserved milk in 1897-98 exceeded those of the previous 

 year by about 86.000 cwts. Denmark maintained her position 

 as the largest exporter of butter to the United Kingdom, the 

 quantity entered to her credit in the trade accounts of the 

 past cereal year being 1,427,000 cwts., out of a total importa- 

 tion of 3,201,000 cwts. In the previous twelve months her 

 consignments to this country amounted in the aggregate to 

 1,301,000 cwts. The other principal contributors to our 

 supply of butter in 1897-98 were France, 456,000 cwts.; 

 Sweden, 304,000 cwts.; Holland, 270,000 cwts.; Australasia, 

 229,000 cwts., and Canada, 126,000 cwts. Over sixty per 

 cent, of the cheese imported was of Canadian origin, the 

 supply received from the Dominion in the past year being 

 1,479,000 cwts., an increase of nearly 85,000 cwts. over the 

 receipts from the same source in 1896-97. The entries of 

 this article from the United States and the Netherlands 

 amounted to 538,000 cwts. and 279,000 cwts. respectively. 

 The last named country also furnished more than ninety per 

 cent, of the imports of margarine. 



