The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-02
OUR AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS.
FIGURES SHOW WHAT WE BOUGHT
DURING FIVE YEARS.

Imports of Agricultural Products
Had an Average Annual value
During That Period of S36S, 74s.-
457-PrincipaI Items Were Sugnr
and Coffce-BraziI, which Furnish
ed Most of the Coffee. Heads the
Ltst-Imports From other COun-
tries.
Washington, April Am Interesting
statement showing the sources-Of the agri-
cultural imports of the United States
during the five fiscal years, 1SA-lS9S has
been prepared by Frank II. Hitchcock.
chief of the foreign markets section OF
the agricultural department. Some OF the
more important statements it contains,
are as follows:
During the five fiscal years, 1S9l-1S98'
the agricultural imports of the United
States had an average annual value OF
$3sS,74S, 457. Sugar. coffee, hides and skins.
wool. silk. vegetable fbers fruits and
tea were the articles imported most eX-
tensvely. Measured in value, these eight
items formed over four-hfths of our total
import trade in agricultural products for
the period mentioned, their combined value
averaging about $3OOOOOGOO a year.
OF this sum more than one-half was
paid for two commodities-sugar and cof-
fee. The average yearly value of the su-
gar imports for 1S9i-1S9S amounted to
$50, ,6s5 and coffee $S3.57O1O6.
Brazil, which furnishes about two-thirds
of the coffee imports, heads the list The
agricultural imports from Brazil during
the five years had an average annual
value of $50 617 524 Cuba, the principal
source of the sugar purchased by she
United States, ranked next to Brazil in
Importance. The average yearly value for
1S94-1S9S of our agricultural imports from
abe island amounted TO $S7, 40, 232, or 10 per
cent of the total After sugar, the most
important items were tobacco and fruits.
Under normal conditions, our imports of
agricultural produce from Cuba are much
larger than is indicated by the average
for 1s94-9S. During the period mentioned
there was a remarkable falling off, the
important value for 1898 amounting to only
$13, 1855, 036, compared with $2, 45l, 800 FOR
1894 In 1894 Cuba stood foremost among
the sources of our agricultural imports,
the products received from the island dur
ing that year exceeding in value those
from Brazil
From England and Germany.
The agricultural imports from the Unit
ed Kingdom averaged annually $33,CS4 055,
p large part being produce of British de-
tendencies re-eXported by the mother
country. Wool and hides were the leading
articles From Germany the average an
nual imports were $23.004, 7@, beet sugar
forming the principal item, from China,
ST. 27S, $40, tea and silk being the principal
items. OF all the tea imported more than
one-half came from China. From Japan
the imports were $16,S92,735, silk being the
most important item, about one-half of
the total silk importations coming from
that country. Japan also furnished over a
third of the tea imported. From France
the average yearly imports We're $l6,606
S37 wines, hides woods, silk, fruit and
nuts and vegetable oils being the leading
items. Imports from other countries were:
Italy $14 O57, 23S; Mexico, $1,000, 462; vegeta-
bic fbres being 1.-THE leading item; Dutch
East Indies S126O0,17 ~; large part of the
sum being paid for cane sugar; Ha-
waiian Islands, 81, O73 440 sugar forming
the principal part and after that rice,
coffee, bananas and hides; British West
Indies, $9,90l S39, sugar being the chief i'm
port; Canada, SO, SS3, 491. largely farm prod
ucts; Netherlands, $S96l, 49, Sumatra to-
bacco comprising about half: British East
Indies. $S91O.011; Venezuela, 81, 1893 93S,
largely coffee, Venezuela ranking next to
Brazil as source of coffee
supply Argentina, Sli0ol,lozi ESSpt,
s. 020, 1885, Egyptian cotton being
the leading article. The above
mentioned countries include all whose i'm
ports exceed 900. The agricultural
imports from the Philippine Islands, con-
sisting chiefly of Manila hemp and sugar,
averaged $4,925,66
Increase From Some Sources.
Although the total value of the asric1l-
tural imports amounted to only 1914 291 796
in 1898, compared with 1854 49,. 627 in
1894, a considerable increase was record
ed from several of the leading sources of
supply. Japan, China and the Hawaiian
Islands afforded the most striking in
stances of a growing trade. The value of
the agricultural products imported from
Japan rose from $l4,035637 in 1884, to S20-
Qe5,9S4 In 1898, China from $14. 2S2S29 to SIS
346,474, and the Hawaiian Islands from
s1002094S 10 7.142,50S.
OF the sources from which products of
agriculture were received in diminished
quantities during the five years, Cuba
was the most conspicuous. AS result
of the disturbed conditions that prevailed
on the island, our agricultural Imports
from Cuba declined in value from $72. 45l, $50
in 1894 to only $13 ,O36 in 1898 a falling
off Of nearly $6O000,0OO.
Next to the Cuban trade the most i'm
portant decline occurred in the case of
Brazil, our agricultural imports from that
country showing a loss of more than 500
100000 The value for 1898 was only $iG-
460, 1872 as against SOS, 100 1876 for 1894
over one-half of the agricultural imports
for the five years came from countries
lying wholly or in chief part within the
tropics and consisted largely of products
that cannot ,e supplied from our own
soil.