i9i 



IMPORTS OF THE CEREAL YEAR. 



It has been the practice in this Journal to review at the 

 close of the cereal year the chief features of the trade 

 in imported agricultural products, and the statement 

 on the next page, which has been prepared from 

 the monthly accounts relating to trade and naviga- 

 tion, shows the quantities and value of the principal 

 articles of this character imported into the United 

 Kingdom in the cereal year ended August 31st last, and the 

 imports of a similar kind in the corresponding twelve months 

 of 1897-98. The changes exhibited by a comparison of the 

 entries for the two periods of the more important items 

 included in the statement may be noticed under the 

 divisions of meat, grain, and dairy produce. 



In the case of live meat it will be observed that there was 

 a diminution of nearly 65,000 head in the number of cattle 

 received in the past cereal year, compared with the entries 

 for the preceding twelve months, this decline being repre- 

 sented by a reduction of ^1,052,000 in the aggregate value of 

 these imports since 1897-98. The falling-off was due for the 

 most part to smaller consignments from the United States, 

 whence 72,000 head fewer were received ; the cargoes of 

 cattle from Ca,nada were also reduced by about 9,000 head, 

 while Argentina, on the other hand, was credited with an 

 augmentation of 16,000 head. The slig'ht increase in the 

 entries of sheep calls for no attention. It is noteworthy 

 that there was an augmentation in the imports of all kinds 

 of dead meat. In the case of fresh beef and mutton the- 

 aggregate consignments to our shores in the year just closed 

 exceeded those of the previous year by 360,000 cwts. and 

 162,000 cwts. respectively. The larger receipts of the former 

 article were due principally to heavier shipments from the 

 United States, while in the case of fresh mutton, the 

 increase is again accounted for by larger consignments from 



