444 Imports of Agricultural Produce. 



consumption was, however, larger than in 1897, for the re- 

 exports — 282,869,681 lbs. — were nearly 90 millions short of 

 those of the earlier year ; and, in fact, the quantity retained 

 for consumption had never previously reached 400 million 

 lbs. The whole of the decline in our receipts may be attri- 

 buted to Australasia, whose consignments, amounting to 

 447j587)548 lbs., fell short by about 44 million lbs. of the quantity 

 in the previous year. Other countries do not exhibit any 

 very material change. The value per lb. was very slightly 

 higher : whereas in 1897 it was estimated at a trifle 

 under 8d., it was last year a small fraction under 

 8id. per lb. 



The imports of grain and flour in the two past years are 

 recorded in the following table : — 



Table IV. 



Imports of Grain and Flour. 



Description. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



1897. 



1898. 



1897. 



1898. 



Wheat - - - - 

 Wheat Meal and Flour - 

 Barley - - - - 

 Oats - - - . 

 Oatmeal 



Maize - - - - 

 Maize Meal - - - 

 Peas - - - - 

 Beans - - - - 

 Other Corn and Meal - 



Cwts. 

 62,740,180 

 18,680,669 

 18,958,720 

 16,116,810 



732,495 

 53,785,380 

 1,029,301 

 2,820,135 

 2,840,050 



Cwts. 

 65,228,330 

 21,017,109 

 24,457,004 

 15.577,900 

 989,480 

 57,169,292 

 1,453,800 

 2,179,062 

 2,293,346 



£ 



23,363,503 

 9,599,656 

 4,681,074 

 4,038,813 



434,672 

 9,188,708 



261,120 



771,055 

 762,275 



478,598 



£ 



26,136,620 



11,545,343 

 6,791,472 



4,383,457 

 615,925 

 11,282,310 



379,485 

 689,899 

 670,159 

 404,588 



Total 







53,579,474 



62,899,258 



The total quantity of wheat imported was about two-and- 

 a-half million cwts. more than the amount recorded in the 

 former year, but did not reach the total of 1896. Owing, 

 however, to the rise in value (8s. per cwt. as compared with 

 7s. 5d. in 1897 and 6s. 2d. in 1896), the total value of the grain 

 imported was higher than in any year since 1891. It may be 



