Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-04-28

markets OF the agricultural department,
| the total value of our domestic ex-
ports reached the enormous sum OF
S,2lO, 29l ,9l3. exceeding the record
breaking figures of the preceding year
by $l7S, 28I,310. On the other hand
the imports during 1898 were the small
lest since 1885, their value being $6l6.-
0i9, o54. decline of $l48,680, 1853
from the figures of 1897. Broadly
stated, for every dollars worth of
foreign merchandise brought into the
United States, two dollars worth of
our products found market abroad.
Our domestic exports as compared
with our imports showed an excess of
1894, PAP, 250, or more than twice the
excess for 1897, which was the largest
previously reported.
An interesting fact developed by the
report of Mr. Hitchcock is the increase
IN the exports of agricultural products.
being 1898 per cent. of the total or
s85S,5O7, 942, gain of nearly 25 per
cent over 1897. Exports of this class
also show greater gain proportion
ately than non. agricultural exports
Our purchases of foreign agricultural
products in 1898 amounted TO only
1911 ,796. as compared with $780,
81 ,i6S in 1897, decrease OF $50 ,579,-
672, or about % per cent. The value
of the American farm produce sent
abb Dad during 1898 was much more
than double that of our agricultural
! imports. the excess of the former over
the latter amounting to $544,216,146.
In 1897 the excess on the side of the
agricultural exports was only s2SS,-
SS3, 725, and in the year Immediately
preceding still smaller.
The total value Of the breadstuifs
sent abroad advanced from 1897, $751;
2l9 in 1897 to 1888, S97,l19 in 1898.
In wheat and flour alone there was a
gain of nearly 800, 100000, While
these enormous gains resulted in part
, from the higher prices that prevailed,
! there was at the same time an import
/ ant increase in the quantity shipped.
The total wheat shipments were 49,
23l POL bushels, nearly double the
quantity exported in 1897. Averaging
the export price at 1913 cents per
bushel, the value was $l45, 6S4, $50, a
gain of SS5, 4,4Sl over 1897, when
the average price was 1873 cents per
bushel and the total value $50, 920,17S.
Although aur exports of wheat flour
did not increase very much in guam
tity during 1898, the gain in value as
result of the higher prices amounted
to Sl5, 9,37l. During 1898 the ex-
port price averaged as high as S4.51
per barrel, making the total value of
! the shipments 500, 263,71S, as compar.
ed with 500, 914,347 for 1897, when the
average price per barrel was only 1891.
, In the quantity shipped there was an
increase from 14,5G9,54 barrels to
1879, 943 barrels during the two years
mentioned
The combined shipments of wheat
and flour would amount 10 145,124,972
bushels for the former year and to
2l7,306, 005 bushels for the latter. The
total value OF the exported wheat and
wheat flour reached as high as S214,-
94S, 377 in 1898, while in 1897 it was
only $115,634,525.
Next to wheat Indian corn showed
the largest gain, the total exports be-
ing POS, IA. 939 bushels valued OF $74,-
1876, $50 AS against 1t, 916, 1865 bushels
valued at S55 ,0S7, Tsp in 1897. The
average price 1898 was 35.5 cents per
bushe as compared with 1915 cents per
bushel the preceding year, the differ
ence in prices again counting in the
increased total value of $40, ,69S.
There was also "A noticeable increase in
exports of corn meal, S27,651 barrels
being sent abroad in 1898 as against
AS ,266 barrels in 1897. There was
an increase in the price of % cents per
barrel, making the value of the exports
81 ,766, O6S as against S902,061 in the
preceding year.
The expectation of oats also showed
a gain, the total being 90, 1870, 2SS BUSH
els, valued at 500, 632,9i4, against S4,-
O33. 552 bushels valued at IS, 756, 2O7 in