Jan. 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL AaRICULTURIST. 
459 
readily observed in tlie temperate zones in greater 
comfort, more variety of food, better healtlr and 
longer life. 
Tliis is especially tlie case in the United States, 
wliieh now imports o^er 1,000.000 dol of tropical 
products eveiy day. This is more than for most 
other countries, since moat of our sugar comes 
from the tropics, the others depennin" on beet. 
Our recent consumption is near one-half the cane 
.sugar and more than oiie-lialt the coffee of the 
world. In 1901 our imports of tropical goods were 
over 400,000,000 do!, against U3,000 000 dol thirty 
years ago. 
These figures fail to show the real growth 
because of the reduction in value per unit of 
quantity. The cost of sugar in the country export- 
ing has since 1870 fallen from 5 to 2'3 cents ; that of 
coffee from twelve to eighteen centb to seven cents ; 
tea from twenty-four to thirty-seven cents to 12 3 
cents ; raw silk from over live dol to a little more, 
than three dol a pound. 
There are four ways to measure this growth, 
all bringing identical results. The first is to 
consider imports by grand divisions. Imports 
from Asia, Africa, Oceanica, and America 
south of the United States were in 1870, 
157,000,000 dol ; 1875 2-24,000,000 dol ; 1880, 
265,000,000 dol ; 1S90, 298,000,000 dol ; 1895, 
310,000,000 dol ; 1901, 414,000.000 dol. Total 
imports meanwhile wei'e : 1870, 436, COO, 000 
dollars ; 1875, 533.000,000 dollars ; 1880. 
668,000,000 dollars ; 1890, 789,000,000 dollars ; 
1895, 740,000 OCO dol; 1901, 880,000,000 dol. The 
share of tropical imports thus rose from 36 per 
cent in 1870 to 47 per cent in 1901. Fur- 
ther, the population of the United States has 
increased meanwhile from 38,000,0 0 to 76,000,000, 
exactly doubling, while tropical imports in- 
creased from 167,000,000 dol to 414,000,000 dol, 
or 165 per cent. Meanwhile non-tropical im- 
ports increased 55 per cent. 
Taking tropical products by articles, we find that 
the most impoitant are : Sugar, coffee, raw silk, 
Indian rubber, cocoa, fibres, fruits and nuts, 
tobacco, cotton and tea. In 1901 these aggregated 
340,954,707 dol or 84 per, cent of total tropical 
mports of 414,000,000 dol. Since 1870, sugar rose 
from 70,0)0,000 dol to 114 000,003 dol ; coffee from 
24,000,000 dol to 70,000,000 dol ; rubber from 
3,500,000 dol to 28,000,000 dol ; raw silk, from 
3,000,000 to 40,000,u00 dol ; fibres, from 6,003,000 
dol to 25,000,000 dol ; fruits and nuts, from 
7,500,000 dol to 20.000,000 dol ; cotton, from 
500,000 dol to 8,500,0000 dol ; tea has fallen 
from near 14.000,000 dol to 9,000,000 dol. 
The total value of all tropical imports was 
in 1S70, 144,000,000 dol; 1875, 207.000 O'O dol ; 
1880, 246,000,000 dol ; 1800, . .S33,000,000 dol; 
1895, 325,000,000 dol ; 1901, 405,000.000 dol, 
corresponding closely to the figures by grand divi- 
sions. 
A study by articles shows a great variation in 
increase measured by valuc=. Sugar increased 
only sixty-six per cent in value, while popula- 
tion increased one hundred per cent, yet con- 
sumption is twice as great as in 1870 ; coffee, 
however, increased nearly two hundred per cent 
and cocoa over one thousand per cent;, tea decreased 
thirty-three per cent, though per capita the 
consumption was the same as in 1870. 
Considering manufacturing articles, fibres and 
tobacco show nearly four times the value in 1870, 
lUbber seven times, silk over twelve titues, and 
cotton over twenty- five times, though the United 
States is now the greatest coiton-proilucing 
country. 
lb is only by quantities that one can realize the 
real growtli much more rapid than indicated by va- 
lues. Since 1870 sugar increased from 1,196,000,000 
to 4,569,000,000 pounds, about three hundred per 
cent, against an increase in value of sixtv-^ix 
per cent ; coffee from 235,000,000 to 1,074,000,000 
pounds, or ever three hundred per cent, against 
an increase in value of two hundred per cent ; 
silk from 500,000 to over 12,000 000 pounds; 
rubber from less than 10,000,000 to over 55,000,000 
pound; tobacco from 6,250,000 to nearly 29,000,000 
pounds ; cotton from less 2,000,000 to over 
68,000,000 pounds ; dye goods from 43.533 
tons to 255,771 tons ; cocoa from less than 
4,000,000 to over 50,000,000 pounds ; tea de- 
creased in value thirty-three per cent, but in- 
creased in quantity fifty per cent. 
The largest increase is thus in materials for 
manufacturing Foods increased two hundred to 
three hundred per cent, materials for manufac- 
turing three hundred to three thousand per cent, 
while population was increasing one hundred 
per cent. 
In the fourth method of measurement we may 
make three groups — foods, raw material for manu- 
facturing and manufactures and luxuries. Foods 
show a growth in value of ten per cent, which 
inclusion of Hawaii and Porto Rico for 1901 would 
raise to twety-five per cent, niannfactures and 
luxuries of thirty-three per cent, and nianufacurers' 
materials of ninety per cent. 
Tiie chief growth in our imports is tropical 
products, and there must be a growing demand 
for these, since we lack the necessary climate, 
while manufactures and luxuries our own pro- 
ducers will .«upi)ly in increasing quantities. 
In the light of these figures is it not possible 
we have builded better than we know in our 
recent unsought tropical acquisitions ? The pro- 
duets of Hawaii have increased over twenty 
fold since the reciprocity treaty of 1876, anil 
exports to the United States twenty-five times. 
Porto Rico shows over three times the average 
before the new relationship. Our exports to 
Hawaii have multiplied twenty times, and to 
Porto Rico five times. In 1901 the Philippines 
supplied over twice the total of 1899 ; their 
nearest neighbours, the Ducth Indies supply ns 
with more sugar than any o her c.auntry save 
Cuba, with the Philippines twenty times as 
large as Hawaii and fifty times as populous, 
their possibilities are worthy of consideration,^ 
American Cultivator. 
POPULAR SCIENTIFIC LECTURES. 
MR. J. B. CARRUTHERS, F.L.S., ON 
SEA-WEEDS. 
The second of the series of popular scientific 
lectures inaugurated by the Hon. Mr. Cooper 
some weeks ago was delivered in the Ceylon 
Medical College Hall on December 6th by 
Mr. J B Carruthers, f.l.s. The attendance 
was comparatively small, but when regarded 
in the light of the fact that those present 
made their way to the Hall in a downpour 
of rain was decidedly satisfactory. Tlie 
lecture was on "Sea-weeds," and the lecturer 
treated his subject in a masterly and inter- 
esting niauuer which, indeed, at times, d^- 
