Russian Flax Trade. 



393 



great deal has been printed in the Chicago newspapers as to 

 high prices ruling for potatoes in the Western States. As 

 these reports might get into English papers, the Consul 

 points out that the price of summer potatoes has been about 

 four to five shillings per bushel, or from £y ios. to £g 6s. 8d. 

 per ton ; and winter potatoes are expected to bring about 

 £4. 13s. 4d. to £y 3s. 4d. per ton, unless early frosts should 

 damage the crop in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and 

 New York, in which States the yield is expected to be large. 

 The customs duty on potatoes imported into the United 

 States is £2 6s 8d. per ton ; freight from seaboard, £1 7s. 6d. 

 per ton ; commission on sales, 7 per cent., with small charge 

 for haulage, etc. Under these circumstances, Mr. Wyndham 

 thinks that English shippers would run great risks in ship- 

 ping potatoes to the United States without careful inquiry 

 into the state of the market. 



The weather experienced in Russia during the year 1900 

 was not favourable to the growth of flax. 



RU Trade FlaX In the earlier P art of the sea son the crop 

 promised well, but owing to subsequent 

 drought the harvest proved disappointing. Growers did not, 

 however, realise at first the extent of the failure, and large 

 quantities of the flax had already been sold abroad ; but as 

 soon as the producers became aware of the limited supply, a 

 rapid rise occurred in the prices of the better qualities of flax, 

 and even the inferior grades commanded a high figure. The 

 total exports of flax from Russia in 1900 amounted to 

 170,000 tons, as compared with 225,000 tons returned for 

 1899. The United Kingdom is the largest buyer of Russian 

 flax, her imports in the two years above mentioned being 

 44,000 tons and 64,000 tons respectively. The aggregate 

 value of Russian exports of flax in 1900 was £4,657,000, the 

 purchases of the United Kingdom being valued at £1,153,000. 

 After the United Kingdom, the largest demand for Russian 

 flax comes from the north of France, a small quantity also 

 being exported to Belgium. 



^Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series, 2698 and 2708.] 



