The St. Johns herald., 1900-05-12
BOERS' FOOD SUPPLY.
Official Export Figures of 1898 and
 What They Show.
Many Shipments to Other POints Thought to Have Been Surrep~ titiOusIy Taken to the Trans
 vaaI and Stored.

Limitations and statements have not been wanting to show how thoroughly the Boers in South Africa went to work to prepare for the war with Great Britain. Most of these accounts however, have had reference to the ob- taining of munitions of war. There is no doubt that the burghers of the 1ransvaal and the Orange Free State were just as thorough in providing supplies of food. Some data on the subject are contained in a p;.nphlet just issued from the United States de partment of agriculture. This publi- cation only brings the matter down to June 30, 1898, but ne figures con tained in it show that the Boers began their preparations as far back as 1896
 In the figures given showing the distribution of agricultural exports from this country, nothing is reported relating directly to the Transvaai. The exports are credited to British Africa and Portuguese Africa, these containing the seaports trough which the stuff for the Transvaal and the Orange Free State passes.
 Canned beef is representative ar ticle. These figures, in pounds. shipped to British Africa, for five years, are as follows: 1894, 967,193; 1896, 1871, ,761; i; 1896, 3,019. .493; 1897, 5,319, 1902, and 1893, 4,122, ,457.
 The shipments of the same staple to Portuguese Africa show even great CT disparity between the earlier and the later shipments, thus: 1894. 96; 1895, none; 1896, 457,57O; 1897, 791,- 230, and 1898, 83s,797.
 Ten salted, or pickled. beef may De considered. To Portuguese Africa the shipments were small, but from noth- ing in 1894 they increased to 26.200 pounds in 1897, and over 20,O00 in 1898. British Africa, however. took from us the following quantities, in pounds. during the five years inclusive of 1894 9S, respectively: 2O2.226, 17s,195, 143.- 650, 371 500. and 579,800.
 Bacon to British Africa jumped from nothing in 1894 to 35,477 pounds iii 1897, and hams from 11,S16 in 1894 to 135, ,169 pounds in 1898. Shipments to Portuguese Africa of hams jumped from nothing during the first four years to 53,6G6 pounds in 1898.
 Salted or picl1led pork sem to Brit ish Africa ranged from as low as 4S,- 565 in 1895 up to 113,300 pounds in 1897. Little of the article went to, or by way Of, Portuguese Africa.
 The figures for lard are much larger, thus: British Africa, for five years, respectively: 289,O24, 291 ,2o9, 446.663, 1,192,306, and HOO, ,293. Portuguese Af- rica: 1,600, -, 64,917, 116,75O, and 1S9,912.
 Lard oil is another large item for British Africa. It increased from 165,- 143 gallons in 1894, to 3Oo,744 gallons in 1897.
 These ar" the significant figures for corn in busne.s: British Africa (for five years respectively)-1,OOO, 5?O, 2,331, ,OG9, 1,4S5,s97. 233,274. Portuguese Africa-62, 3, 154.O52, 3O7,595, e0,9S2.
 Cornmeal sent to British Africa jumped from 9 barrels i'll 1895 to IT, 941 in 1898.
 No oatmeal was sent to British Ali rica in 1894 and 1895. The following years, 1896, 1897 and 1898, show the following figures in pounds respect iVely: 29,S5o, 4O3,952, and 667,798.
 Rye sent to the ports of British Af- rica amounted to only 9,329 bushels in 1896. The next year the figures were o5,264.
 Then follow amazing figures for wheat. British Africa took only 47,- 794 bushels in 1895, but the following year she took 2,2s6,374, and the two succeeding years, respectively, 2.524,- o94 and 2,S23,S63. For Portuguese Af- rica there were no shipments in 1s94-5, and only 1871 in 1896. But in 1897 they amounted to 837665, and in 1898 to 2,35S.515 bushels.
 Wheat flour to British Africa iumped from 9,674 barrels in 1895 to 195, ,163 barrels in 1896 and 259,3o5 barrels in 1898.
 British Africa. took 220 bushels of beans and peas in 1895. The next year 19,426 bushels were shipped, and in 1897 36,173, the quantity the following year being 24,631.
 Portuguese Africa, which had taken none the previous years, took 1,696 bushels in 1897.
 There was an increase also in dried apples. To British African ports there were sent in 1894 479 pounds. In 1897 the quantity was 30,s00, and in 1898 97,177.
 Other items show minor increases, and many kinds of exports remain about stationary, the large increases n every case being of nonperishable 'oOdS-N Y Times