^arch 1896.] IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 479 



As regards imports, all the more important countries (except 

 Germany) from which these animals are sent supplied greater 

 numbers in 1895 than in the previous year. The increase, how- 

 ever, was almost entirely due to the United States and Canada, 

 the totals for these two countries together (stallions, mares, and 

 geldings) being 3,134, 10,267, and 23,259 in 1S93, 1894, and 

 1895 respectively. 



Horses. 



Quantities. 



Values. 



1894. 



1895. 



1894. 



1895. 



Stallions - 



Mares - - - . 



Geldings - 



Total 



No. 



764 

 5,152 

 16,950 



No. 



824 

 10,331 

 22,994 



£ 



30,778 

 125,758 

 391,522 



£ 



75,137 

 269,375 

 578,303 



22,866 



34,149 



548,058 



922,815 



The increase in the exports of horses, which are shown in the 

 following table, was mainly to Belgium. The value of these 

 animals is, however, very variable, and the 2,982 geldings ex- 

 ported to France were worth more than the 8,777 shipped to 

 Belgium. The average value of all the stallions exported was 

 considerably below that of 1894, being a little under llOZ. per 

 head as against nearly 210^. in 1894 : — 



Description. 



Numbers. 



Values. 



1894. 



1895. 



1894. 



1895. 



Stallions - - - 

 Mares - - - - 

 Geldingjs - - - 



Total - 



No. 



259 

 2,891 

 13,307 



No. 



590 

 3,610 

 17,237 



£ 



54,269 

 147,790 

 247,745 



£ 



64,714 

 153,023 

 331,043 



16,457 



21,437 



449,804 



548,780 



Imports of Hay and Straw in 1895. 



Imports of hay, which have attained importance in recent 

 years only, depend very much upon the British crop. These 

 imports were very large in 1893-4, consequent upon the drought 

 of the earlier year. In 1895 there is a marked decline, although 

 the figures for the last four months show an advance upon those 

 for 1894, probably as a result of the dry weather of 1895 in 

 England. The good English crop of 1894 was accompanied by 

 a much poorer one in the United States, and to this may be due 

 the fact that the decline in the total imports from all countries 



O 90410. F 



