March 1896.] 



THE BELGIAN POULTKY INDUSTRY. 



409 



The Belgian Annuaire shows the average annual number of 

 poultry in the kingdom during the period 1871-1880 to have 

 been 3,967,000, whose annual production in eggs was estimated 

 at 840,000,000, valued at 1,400,000^. and in table poultry at 

 2,631,000 head, valued at 200,000L It is believed that at present 

 the total number of poultry is at least 6,000,000, and the value 

 of the annual pi-oduct of eggs and 'table poultry not far from 

 2,400,000^. Still, Belgium does not produce enough eggs for her 

 own consumption, as will be seen by a comparison of the figures 

 of imports and exports (special commerce), the former largely 

 exceeding the latter. 



The following tables, compiled from the Belgian trade returns, 

 show the imports and exports of eggs for the years 1892, 

 1893, and 1894. 



It should be observed that as regards the imports, the 

 figures in the column headed " Special Commerce " represent the 

 number of eggs imported for consumption into Belgium, while 

 those in the column headed " General Commerce " show the total 

 importation of eggs into the country, nearly two-thirds of which 

 is composed of eggs in transit to other countries. In the case 

 of the exports, the figures in the column " Special Commerce " 

 show the exportation of Belgian eggs, while the total expor- 

 tation of eggs from Belgium, including eggs of foreign origin in 

 transit through the country, is shown in the column of 

 ^' General Commerce." 



Importation of Eggs into Belgium. 



Countries of 

 Supply. 



-. 



1892. 



1893. 



1894. 



General 

 Commerce. 



Special 

 Commerce. 



General 

 Commerce. 



Special 

 Commerce. 



General 

 Commerce. 



Special 

 Commerce. 





No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



No. 



Germany - 



25,569,016 



17,540,297 



29,310,922 



14,207,526 



36,117,150 



17,674,613 



England - 



1,899,200 



1,579,100 



3,265,616 



3,262,616 



1,13^,396 



844,956 



Austria - 



157,984,260 



8,926,100 



138,476,330 



2,705,000 



181,357,630 



1,269,410 



Denmark - 



200,000 



200,000 







144,000 



144,000 



France 



1,798,236 



1,700,904 



1,064,134 



1,061,052 



434,442 



395,532 



Luxemburg 



256,503 



256,503 



195,585 



195,585 



153,968 



153,968 



Hamburg 



867,580 



867,580 



201,600 



201,600 







Italy 



I57.,318 540 



63,643,298 



186,113,139, 



76,036,524 



222,724,696 



71,513,856, 



Netherlands 



.3,134,688 



2,930,830 



3,291,078 



3,273,950 



3,981,067 



3,926,818 



Roumania 







383,040 



383,040 







Russia 



2,552,760 



2,552,760 



2,406,200 



2,269,460 



15,668,630 



13,189,560 



Turkey - 







160,000 



160,000 







Switzerland 











370,000 



30,000 



other Countries - 



22,500 



22,500 



136,355 



50 



609,143 



158,808 



Total - 



351,603,283 



100,219,932 



365,003,999 



103,756,403 



462,695,122 



109,301,521 



