Agricultural Imports an]) Exportf. 



231 



many districts, thus necessitating a good deal of cutting by 

 liand instead of by machine. 



The dry weather during July is said to have been injurious 

 to the root crops in some parts of the Western Counties, and 

 consequently much labour for hoeing was not required. In 

 other parts of the country the root crops were described as 

 good. Reports frequently stated that it had often been 

 very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain sufficient labour 

 for hoeing, and also for hay harvesc, and a number of 

 employers intimated that higher prices had been paid for 

 piece-work this yesiv than in 1897. In certain districts in 

 Wiltshire and Somersetshire men returned to their homes 

 from the collieries in South Wales, owing to the strike, and 

 got employment at farm work. 



Miscellaneous Agricultural Imports ndd Exports. 



In the Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom 

 for 1897, the Commissioners of Customs state that a record 

 was kept in 1897 of the descriptions of articles comprised 

 under the heading of " Goods unenumerated," and they give 

 a list of these articles together with their values. Among 

 the unmanufactured goods of more direct interest to agricul- 

 turists which have been imported, it may be noted that egg 

 yolk and liquid egg figured to the value of ^7,043. Cut and 

 everlasting flowers amounted to a value of £212,81^ ; the 

 re-exports of the latter goods amounting to £7,S4S' Teazles, 

 for dressing cloth, were imported to the value of ;£9,9 .'^i, and 

 willows for basket work, etc., to the amount of ^^40,77 2. 



Amongst the manufactured goods imported the largest 

 item was basket- ware, which was entered to the amount of 

 £237,599; the re-exports of basket-ware being estimated at 

 ;£4,9i I, whilst the exports of this article of British manu- 

 facture amounted to 12,781. Dextrine was imported to the 

 value of 1 4,022, and fruit juice to the value of £gS,072. 

 The re-exports of these two com^modities are returnea at 

 ;^i,778 and ;£2,567 respectively. 



Amongst the exports included under the heading of goods 



