The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-07

or Foreign Markets OF the Agriy ultural
Department. has just compiled some il. sr-
esung statistics relating 10 the fore gn
trade Of The United States in agricultural
products, extracts from which follow
In the fiscal year 1899. for the fourth
time In the history of our foreign CON-
merce, the annual value Of domestic mCr-
chandise exported b. the United States *
ceeded a billion dollars The first T. ord
OF the kind was made in 1892, Ehon Tue
declared valuation amounted 10 S1,O15. 49,
OH. Immediately following 1892 there W re
four years. lS9S-1Ss6. duIiug which our ,x-
ports were considerably smaller. A. er
that, In 1891 a marked Increase occurred.
resulting in a value Of S1.o32. 0O7.6t3. the
highest up TO that time During 1878 q
still further growth took place, and the IN
precedented value OF 81 30, 291. 913 was at
tanned. Then came 1899, with a record Of
: 81, 203 931 222. This value while sonew. a,
less than the exceptionally high figures Of
1898, was far in excess OF any previously
reported.
The total imports for 1889 were valued
at $697. las. 4S9. Although much below me
average for the last ten years. these Is
Z ures exhibit marked gain over the i; s
{ value, which was unusually small, AMOUNT
ing TO only $6l6, 049, 654 The annual Gy T
I age for the decade 1s90-1SS9 Vas a-oye
$3.50. Coo, Geo.
a comparison of the imports with the
domestic exports shows that in 1889 the
excess on the side OF the latter reached as
high as 5O6. 1872, 1913.
The products OF foreign agriculture
purchased by the United States during 1899
had a value Of 1855. 5l4 ISL. constituting 81
per cent OF the total imports Of meTchan-
T,rTff r-fr1r1fr fraf.v -
223 Gs5 over the low figures recorded for
lS9S, the agricultural imports Of 1888 were
decidedly smaller than the average for the
past decade, which amounted TO about $751;
00O coo.
-"Of the domestic merchandise marketed
abroad IN 1899. 55.S5 per cent. with a 10.
tai value OF 1922, S1l. 733, consisted q the
products OF agriculture. While the value
for 1899 was $50. 207. 213 less than the ex-
ceptionally high figures Of 1888. it exceed
ed all prior records, except
that for 1872. a year that was notable be
cause of the remarkably abundant crops
in America accompanying a general dei-
cheney abroad. Conditions somewhat sim
liar to those recounted for 1892 prevailed
but to a less marked extent. during 1885
resulting in unusually heavy exporta-
tion Of breadstuffs- Under the more nor
NAL conditions OF 1899 our breadstu1 ex-
ports were considerably smaller. In the
latter year the value of the breadstuffs
shipped to foreign countries amounted TO
only $273,SS9, 500 as against 1888 S97 ll9 in
1898. a decline Of $50 Sg7. 42O. This falling
of in the expectation OF breadstuhs. to-
gether with a loss of $50 SIS, 643 in the
value OF the cotton shipments more than
accounted for the total decrease in agri-
cultural exports.
Compared with the agricultural imports
Of the sane year. the agricultural exports
for 1899 show an excess of S437. 296. So.
The leading agricultural imports OF
the United States during the fiscal wear
1899. named in the order Of their impor-
lance, were sugar. coffee. hides. and skins
silk. vegetable fibres fruits. and nuts to-
baecO. Tea, wool. wines. cocoa. and yegeta-
bic oils. Measured in value. these twelve
items constituted over IS per cent Of the
total agricultural import trade for the year
mentioned.
OF sugar the United States imported in
1899 3,SS0,2j0.569 pounds or 2s0. 32q. us
pounds more than the unusually small i'm
ports of the year before which amour ed
70 only 2,tS9 81 POUNDS. In the value
OF the imports there was an advance dur
Ing the two years from 6e.f72 74g TO SEA
964l2O. making gain OF S34.49l371 The
average Import price per pound was %
cents for 1885 and - cents for 1893
In ne imports Of coffee there was a de
cline OF 3S6SI.&g2 pounds during 1899 the
receipts for that year amounting 10 only
S3l.S27.e63 pounds as against S7G5I4. 455
pounds for lSsS- Meanwhile the value fell
from s65.06I,6@1 10 5.275. s7O showing
loss Of 1892 l51. In 1898 the import price
averaged cents per Mound. but in 1899
1t dropped to sc cents
Hides and skins.
The imports OF hides and skins in
creased from 2i5. ,6l6 pounds. worth $s7-
e6S.9S2, during 1885 10 257 .C9o. 80 pounds
worth Si1.9Ss O4}. during 1899. There was
4 gain OF q 316 1874 pounds in quantity and
SA9lS.ll1 in value The import price par
pound averaged l5.1 cents for 1898 and 15.7
cents Tor 1899 Goatskins and hides Of cattle
were the chief items under hides and
skins.
"of silk, S3756S pounds less were re-
ceiyed in 1899 than in 1898. the imports
falling during the two years from r.
CS4,95l pounds to IL. 2j0, 1873 pounds.
In the importation OF fruits and nuts
there was a considerable increase during
1893. the value recorded for that year
amounting to SlS.3l4.206, as compared ith
Sli $50 for 1898. This was a gain of
S3.1f72j6- Fruits were the chief factor.
having an import value of 1899. 012 in
1898 and Sl5.5S6. 664 in 1899 Bananas and
lemons formed the leading items.
Our imports Of manufactured tobac-
co increased from 10.477. 105 pounds worth
F4SS.60S, in 1895. to 14,O35. s29 pounds.
worth s9,9O0.253. in 1899. The gain in
quantity amounted to 3.55s. 721 pounds. and
that in-value to SAIL Gas. There was a
decline from 715 cents TO 70.5 cents per
pound in the average annual import price
Ten, WOOL. Wines. and OIL.
The tea imports for 1899 amounted 10
74,oS9,S99 pounds, having a value Of So
67e.0S1. while In 1888 71,957.7I5 pounds.
valued at $40 O54, 2SS, were imported. In
quantity there was gain Of 2.I32. 1874
pounds. and in value lpss Of 1919, POP. The
import price per pound averaged IA cents
for 1898 and l3.I cents for 1899
In the importation Of wool there was a
marked falling of during 1888. the re-
eelpts for that year amounting TO only 76.-
iSo.2os pounds, valued at s.. 322 S97. as
against 1872 I95.202 pounds. valued az Sl6.-
1862. for 1888. These figures represent
decline of 80 G5S 1913 pounds in quantity
and $S.460.1S5 in value. During 1875 the
import price per pound averaged I26 cents
but in 1899 il fell 10 1913 cents
Wines were imported in 1899 to he
value OF $3.50. POO. This was an increase
of 1921 OPS over the 1898 value which was
recorded at s.. 969. $50.
Our imports Of cocoa increased from
26,5S3-22S pounds. worth S3.7S2S77. dur
ing 1855 70 36.4SS5S3 pounds. worth S.
S60.llo. during -S99. The gain in quantity
amounted 20 500. 355 pounds. and thar IN
value 10 $1577.239. The average impert
prfce ner Mound urae L > -ecs