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THE CONSUMPTION OF SAE: 
A noteworthy feature of our import trade in grain and 
grain products has been the remarkable increase during the 
past few years in the suoplies of maize. Since 1895 our 
annual receipts of this product in the form of grain haverisen 
from 33,944,000 cwts. to 62,700,000 cwts., while in the same 
interval the entries of maize meal have risen from 164,000 
cwts. to 1,815,000 cwts. In each of the past four years our 
imports of the whole grain have exceeded 50,000,000 cwts. ; 
whereas the annual entries prior to 1895, while frequently 
exceeding 30,000,000 cwts., only twice show an importation of 
more than 40,000,000 cwts.* The milled product, on the other 
hand, was, until 1897, always an insignificant item in this trade, 
but in that year maize meal suddenly figured to the extent 
of over 1,000,000 cwts., and in the past twelve months the total 
consignments were almost double that quantity. 
The maize imported into this country is used for the most 
part as feeding stuff for live stock, though some of it is 
employed in the brewing, distilling, and other industries, 
and in the manufacture of proprietary foods and confectionery. 
Its cheapness as compared with other feeding grains has no 
doubt stimulated the growing demand for it amongst stock 
owners, for during the past three or four years the average 
value of maize grain has been from 6d. to 1s. per cwt. lower 
than that of the cheap imported feeding barleys. 
The chief source of our supplies is the United States, 
whence we have received in recent years over 60 per cent, 
of the entire annual importation, and among the remaining 


*In 1890 the quantity of maize grain imported was 43,438,000 cwts. The course 
of these imports for the past 25 years may be seen from the quinquennial averages, 
which are as follows :—1871-75, 19,663,000 ewts. ; 1876-S0, 27,104,000 cwts. ; 1881-85, 
27,961,000 cwts.; 1886-90, 33,436,000 cwts.; 1891-95, 32,884,000 cwts.; and 1896-99 
(4 years), 56,357,000 cwts. 
