210 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. [Sept. 1895. 



tons less than the 62,731 tons received in the first six months of 

 1893. It will be seen from the table that the decline was due 

 mainly to smaller shipments from the United States, while the 

 supplies from Canada and Holland were also much lighter than 

 in 1894. Imports from Russia and Chili appear to have nearly 

 ceased. 



The quantity of straw imported was about 7^400 tons less 

 than that received in the six months ended June 1894, but only 

 700 tons short of the 19,234 tons imported in the corresponding 

 period of 1893. 



III. — Imports of Horses. 



The importation of horses is shown in the table below. The 

 figures for this table and the remaining tables of imports have 

 been taken from the monthly Trade and Navigation Returns : — 



Horses. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



First Six 

 Months cf 

 1894. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1894. 



First Six 

 Months of 

 1895. 



Stallions . _ _ 

 Mares - - - - 

 Geldings . _ - 



Total 



No. 



191 

 1,760 

 8,478 



No, 



229 

 3,983 

 10,603 



£ 



13,348 

 40,873 

 199,430 



£ 



50,469 

 111,765 

 277,040 



10,429 



1 4,815 



253,651 



439,274 



The total number of horses imported in the first six months of 

 1895 exceeded by nearly 50 per cent, the number imported in the 

 corresponding period of 1894. It was, moreover, more than double 

 the imports of the six months ended June 1893, which were 6,815 

 head only. The increase was mainh^ due to the augmented ship- 

 ments of mares and geldings from the United States of America. 

 Of the 3,983 mares imported, 2,441 came from this source as 

 compared with an importation of 388 mares from the same 

 country in 1894. The United States contributed 4,632 geldings 

 to the total number imported, which included also 2,286 Canadian 

 geldings ; in the corresponding period of 1894 the two countries 

 named sent 2,516 and 1,031 geldings respectively. 



IV. — Imports of Fresh Meat. 



From the table given below it will be observed that there 

 was a slight increase in the importation of fresh meat 

 in the six months ending June last as compared with the 

 receipts of this article in the corresponding period of 1894, the 



