Our Imports of Hay. 
399 
notwithstanding that the prospects of the English hay crop are now 
vastly superior to what they were a year ago. Taking five-sixths of 
the import of the latter half of 1893, we get a total of 166,904 tons, 
as representing the average for five months, whereas during the first 
five months of 1894 we have imported 168,531 tons, so that there 
is really a slight increase in the rate of importation during the 
current year, so far as it has gone. A more striking view of 
the subject is obtained by comparing the 168,531 tons imported 
within the first five months of the present year with the 263,050 tons 
which represent the whole of the import in 1893. The former 
number is 64 per cent, of the latter ; in other words, we have im- 
ported for the first five months of 1894 about two-thirds as much hay 
as was landed on our shores in the entire twelve months of 1893. 
Table I. has been constructed to show the imports of hay, and 
their sources, during the seventeen months which ended with May 3 1 , 
1894. The imports in 1893 are compared with those for 1892, and 
Table II. — Imports of Hay into the United Kingdom , s ho whig 
the Contributory Continents. 
Continents 
Five months ended 
May 31 
i 
Twelve months ended 
December 31 
1894 
1893 
1893 
1892 
Europe ..... 
Asia 
Tons 
45,631 
Tons 
12,281 
Tons 
69,475 
Tons 
31,948 
542 
— 
73 

Africa 
191 
730 
732 
3,274 
North America 
118,252 
37,104 
164,513 
24,708 
South America 
3,893 
3,606 
28,208 
1,307 
Australasia .... 
22 
— 
49 
Total .... 
168,531 
53,721 
263,050 
61,237 
the imports in the first five months of 1894 with those for the corre- 
sponding months of 1893. The fact that the United States of 
America has sent us 108,369 tons in the first five months of this year, 
as against 101,132 tons in the whole of last year, shows what efforts 
she is making to retain and strengthen a trade which so recently as 
1892 was represented by only 11,588 tons. As compared -with 1892 
she last year increased her export to us nearly nine-fold, whilst in 
the first five months of 1894 she has sent us nearly ten times as 
much as she did in the twelve months of 1892. Canada is not hold- 
ing her ground so well, but she sent us five times as much hay in 
1893 as in 1892, and it is worth noting that Canada alone sent to 
our ports in 1893 more than the total quantity of hay we took from 
all sources in 1892. Holland, which was first on the list in 1892, 
gave precedence to the United States and Canada in 1893, and in 
the current year up to May 31 she further yields place to Russia. 
A continental grouping of the sources of our hay imports, such 
as is set forth in Table II., brings out some interesting results. 
