The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-07-05
EXPORTS OF THE FARMERS.
Statistics of Foreign Trade in Agricultur
al Products.

A statistical review of the United States
foreign trade in agricultural products for
the ten fiscal years 1890 to 1899, compiled
by Frank H. Hitchcock, chief Of the for
eign markets section of the Agricultural
Departments, was made public on the 18th
ult. 1t shows that the average annual
agricultural imports for the last decade
amounted TO about $751;, 100000, while the
total imports of all kinds averaged about
$3.50, OOO, 600 In the first half of this de-
cade the average of agricultural imports
was SiO6, 1865, AL, or over 81 per cent of all
imports; OF agricultural exports S669, 644,-
253, or 1852 per cent; and the excess of
agricultural exports over agricultural
imports averaged S263, 27S, Sl2 annually.
For the remaining five years the annual
average of agricultural imports was $685.
96i, 70S or over 81 per cent of the whole;
of agricultural exports $694, S74 900, or
over Is per cent of all domestic exports,
and the agricultural exports exceeded ag-
ricultural imports by an average of $685.
909, 292 annually.
In 1899, for the fourth time in the his
tory of the United States foreign COM
MERGE, the annual value of domestic mer-
chandise exported by this country ex-
ceeded 81, OO0, 10000 The first such rec
ore was made in 1892, when the declared
valuation amounted to $l,Ol5, 1901. In
1897 it was Sl,O32, 007 ,603, and in 1898
reached the unprecedented value of ST.
2l0, 30, 9l3. Then came 1899, recording
81, 20, 93l 30.
In 1899 the excess of domestic exports
over imports reached $5O6,O00, 900, and of
agricultural exports over agricultural inn
ports Si37, 900, OOO.
The foreign agricultural products pur-
chased here in 1899 had value Of 1855,
SD, SSl, or over $3l 500, 900 less than the
average for the entire ten years preced-
| ing.
Of the domestic merchandise marketed
abroad in 1899 nearly 66 per cent, with a
total value of S792. 81 1913, consisted of ag-
| ricultural products. While the 1899 value
was SOC. 0O0, 600 less than the exceptionally
high figure of 1898, it exceeded all prior
records except 1892. In 1898 there was a
heavy expectation of breadstuffs, which
decreased in 1899 under more normal
conditions, and this decrease, together
| with loss of SIC, S63, 443 in the value of
| the cotton shipments, more than account
| ed for the total decrease in agriculture ex-
ports fromthe preceding year. The leading
agricultural imports of the United States
in the fiscal year 1899, in order. Of their
| importance, were sugar, coffee, hides and
skins, silk, vegetable tibres, fruits and
nuts, tobacco, tea, wool, wines, cocoa and
| vegetable oils, these twelve items consti-
| tuting over IS per cent of the total agri-
cultural import trade for the year.
After breadstuffs. cotton and meat pro-
ducts, the principal exports for the fiscal
year 1899, in the order Of their value, ere
| live animals, tobacco, oilcake and oilcak e
meal, vegetable oils, fruits and nuts,
dairy products and seeds. These ten
leading items compressed in value over 95
per cent of the the total exports of agri-
cultural produce in 1899. Breadstuffs,
cotton and meat products alone consti-
tuted more than 50 per cent. The value
Of breadstuffs exported in 1899 was 1913,
800, 500, a decline of $50, S97, 42O from 1898.
| Wheat was the principal factor in this de-
cline, although in the case Of wheat -four
there was considerable increase. The
quantity of wheat flour sent to foreign
markets i'm 1899 was Is, 4S5 600 barrels, or
3,l35, 747, barrels more than in 1898 The
meat products exported in 1893 exceeded
| 10y 50 49,, 624 the value of these exporta-
tons in 1898, hog products, especially
pork and lard, showing the largest
gains.