Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-02
The Increase Into America
Is Very Large.
STRIKING INSTANCES
The Disturbed Condition in Cuba Has
Caused a Big Failing OFT There
While In Hawaii, Japan and China
Growth is Rapid. Il

Washington, March IAN interesting
statement showing the sources of the
AGRICULTURAL imports of the United
States during the five fiscal years 1885,
1898 has been prepared by Frank II.
Hitchcock, chief of the foreign mar
kets section of the agricultural depart
ment. Some of h more Important
statements it contains are as follows:
During the five fiscal years 1894-1SSS. the
agricultural imports of the United
States had an average annual value OF
$685. 4S, Asst. Sugar. coffee. hides and
skins, wool, silk, vegetable f1bres, fruits
and tea were the articles imported most
extensively. Measures in value, these
formed over four-fifths of our total
import trade in agricultural products for
the period mentioned, their combined val
ue averaging about $500. OOO, 900 a year.
OF this sum more than one-haif was
paid for two commodities. sugar and
coffee. The average yearly value OF
the sugar imports for 1S94-1S98 amount
ed to $50, AIS, 6S5. and coffee $685. $40. LOG.
Brazil. which furnishes abou two
thirds of the coffee imports, headed the
list. The agricultural imports from Bra
zil during the Ave years had an average
annual value of $59,61 .524. Aside from
Brazil were in~considerable.
Cuba, the principal source of the sugar
purchased by the United States, ranked
next in Brazil in Importance. The av-
erage yearly value for 1S94-9S of agri-
cultural imports from the island amount
ed to $37, 400, 232, or 10 per cent of the to-
tai. After the most important
items were tobacco and fruits. Under
normal conditions our imports Of agricul-
tural produce from Cuba are much larger
than is indicated by the average for
1894-98. During the period mentioned
there was a remarkable falling OF, the
import value for 1898 amounting to only
$13, 158, 036. as compared with $72, 451, 1856 for
1894. In 1894 Cuba stood foremost among
the sources of our agricultural imports,
the products received from the island
during that year exceeding in value those
from Brazil. ~
h agricultural imports from the
United Kingdom averaged annually $685.
0S4. O65, a large part being produce of
British dependencies re-exported by the
mother country. Wool and hides wereSthe
leading articles. ,-tl.. l. az
From Germany the average annual inn
ports were $32. 0O4, 1877, beet sugar forming
the principal item; from China SIT, 278, S49
tea and silk being the principal items.
OF all the tea imported more than
half came from China From Japan
the imports were SIG, S92, 735, silk being
the most important item. japanese also
furnished over a third of the tea import
ed. From France the average yearly
imports were SIG, SOC, BAT. |
Among the imports from other coun-
tries were: Italy, $14, 057, 238: Mexico, 3d.
094, 462; Hawaiian islands, $12,O 7344O sugar
forming the principal part. and after that
rice, coffee. bananas and hides. The
The agricultural imports from the Phil
ippine islands, consisting chiefly of
manila hemp and sugar, We're 81, 425, 1868.
Although the total value Of the agricul-
tural imports amounted to only 1914, 291.-
1876 in 1898, as compared with 1854, AGA, 627 in
1894, a considerable increase was recorded
from several of the leading sources of
supply. Japan. China and the Hawaiian
islands afforded the most striking in
stances of a growing trade. he value of
the agricultural products imported from
Japan rose from $14, OBS, 637 in 1894 to $780,
265, 1884 in 1898; China, from $14,2 S2, 1923 to
$1S, 346, 474, and the Hawaiian islands from
SO, O2O. 943 to SIT. 142, sos. OF the sources
from which products of agriculture were
received in diminished quantities during
the five years. Cuba al the most con-
spicuous. AS a result of the disturbed
conditions that prevailed on the island
our agricultural imports from Cuba de-
clined in value from So, 4O1, 1856 in 1894, to
only $40, 15S, 036 in 1898, a falling off fully
of $50. 900, 900.