The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-22
Cur Agricultural Exports.

AS the government fiscal year nears
its close, the attention of the CONNER
cial world is being attracted to the
enormous and unprecedented volume of
-Lhe nations exports which the record
of the twelve months between July 1.
1897, and June so, 1898, will reveal. The
figures for the present month are not
yet available; but, assuming that they
equal the sum Of our exports of June
of last year, the total for the fiscal
year will amount to s1,213, 900, 900, OF
Sl62 200, 600 in excess of 1897. Already
our exports for eleven months show an
excess Of $S5.000.000 over any previous
year in our history, and if the volume
during June shall prove to be equal to
that for May the total exports for the
present fiscal year will amount to ST.
2SS,0 900, or is per cent over the record
of 1897, which was $1,051, 100000. Fur
thermore the present indications are
that when the computations are finally
made the fact will be revealed that our
exports exceed our imports in the sum
of 5000 600, 000-which amount represents
that OF the balance of trade in our
favor. Of course, this means a mag
imports during the same period. These
amount already to about $112,000,000
These figures are approximately twice
those OF the last year, and are equal to
those of 1881, which possesses the high
est record in connection with the sub
ject OF the importation of gold in the
history of the country.
But that which will be of special in
terest to the people of this section is
the fact that, of this great volume of
exports, considerably more than $780,
600, 000-possibly as much as $685., 100000
represent the products of agriculture.
The total value of -breadstuffS alone
for the eleven months ending May 81
was 1926 ,G03, 1913, against $179 066,673 for
the same period in 1897, s124, 749,759 in
1896, and s1o2 .OOS.S6O in 1895. Of cattle
and hogs the total for the eleven
months ending May 81 was $32, Ill, 06S,
as against $50, SIS, O34 in 1897, 1923, O53, 1876
in 1896, and SIG, 1897, 511 in 1895. But the
most striking advance is in provisions,
the figures for which show a value
of $141,77S,S27 for the eleven months
ending May 81, as against Sis, 9S9. 3G5
during the same period of 1897, S1l6,-
1854 in 1885, and S121, 090, POS in 1895
The total for the fiscal year>1S96-1997
was S126. 1SS, sS5 that for 1S95-1S96, S127,-
1925 and 1S9495, S13O,245.S37. These
figures illustrate to what extent the
world relies upon the United States
for food for the support of people in
distant lands.
In general way it may be said that
in only two fiscal-year periods, name
ly 1881 and 1892, have our agricultural
exports reached even the total of $780,
100000. Compared with the last fiscal
year the increase will be approximately
SEQ, COG, 0G0 with 1895 more than $780,
100000, and with 1895 the excess will
probably reach so per cent. A great
increase is shown in the exports of
corn, which will show total of more
than 200, 0G0,C00 bushels. There has
been an increase in oatmeal of so per
cent over 1897, and in urnilled oats OF
100 per cent. A large proportion of
the increase lin provisions consists of
hog products. An interesting feature
in this connection exists in the increase
in the amount CT our bacon which is
exported. Last year the value was
$34, 187, AZ while this year it will prob
ably reach the total of 4a,000,080. The
increase in lard is shown by the esti-
mated value of s37, 100000, as against
29,126, 4S5 last year. OF beef cattle we
exported between July 1, 1897, and
April so. $685. 379663 head, against &c.
ATS during the same period last year.
These represented a value Of S32, $751;
S33 and $685. 03 respectively. There
has, however, been q shrinkage during
the period named, in dressed beef,
from PAP, 16S.034 pounds in 1897, to
227,434,373 pounds in 1898. There have
also been slight declines in the matter
of sailed and canned meats.
Taken as a whole, the showing can
not fail to be most gratifying to farm
ers throughout the country. The signs
are also good for another twelve
months of equal, If not surprising,
prosperity. The value of our trade
with Spain, with whom we are now at
war, had grown to so slender proper
lions as rot to be counted worthy of
much consideration in connection with
the subject. Our exports to that coun-
try had shrunk to an average value
during the past five years of SIG, 24O,5SS.
as against s1S,9O5404 for the five years
preceding 1893.
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