The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-06-20
OUR FARM IMPORTS
Europe is Our Most important Source
of Agricultural Supplies
THE SOURCES OF FOREIGN IMPORTS
Some Figures Compiled BY MIR. Hitch
cock, Chief of the Section of For-
eign 7aIkets.

Washington. Special-Mr. Frank
Fl Hitchcock. chief of the section OF
foreign markets of the Agricultural
Department. has prepared a bulletin
showing the sources Of the ag-icultu-
raj imports Of the United States for
the period from 1896 TO 1900. 1t shows
that the total value of agricultural
products imported into the United
States IL 1900 was $42G.139.2SS, that
year being the record year Of the five.
The annual average was S376,595.3GS.
EGrope was decidedly our most i'm
portant source of agricultural imports
we taking from that continent in 1900
S129.O00000 worth of farm produce.
being the largest in recent years eX-
cept 1857, when We received Sl52,OOO,-
600 Asia, in 1900. sent US Sl0l ,00O,-
O00 in agricultural produce. rapid
rise from S6G,0G0.000 in 1896. Our
farm produce imports from Oceania
also rose rapidly, being S3l 100000 in
1900. against 1900, 900 in 1886, while
on the other hand. there was falling
off Of $4,000 0C0 in our imports Of farm
produce from North American coun-
tries. there being SS3.000,000 in 1900
against $<5.0O0.000 in 1895. The i'm.
ports. however. in the three years pre-
ceding 1909 were larger than this.
There was large falling off in agri-
cultural imports from South America,
they being $4,000 000 in 1896. and
only ST. coo. 600 in 1899 and SG6.000,-
900 in 7900
-.0.r African farm produce imports
declined from, S1O.400;000 in 1896 TO
S6.TO0 900 in 1888. and rose again in
1890 70 S1Q.GQ0.000. Brazil owing to
its heavy coffee trade. holds the fore
most place in the ranks of countries
sending lis coffee supplies. her total
for 1900 being S39. 900. Our imports
from there. however. have been stead
ily decreasing. In 1896 they were $780,
,6GS.0G0
The United Kingdom ranks next to
Brazil exports to US in 1900, gain
over the two Immediately preceding
yeas. but a loss of S15.O00,000 as COM
pared with 1897. The Dutch East In
dies ranked third with S27,5OO,OOO IN
agricultural products sent to us IN
1900. the five year period showing
steady gain. the figures for 1896 being
only s14.59S.O00.
Cuba in 1900. sent us S27 7.226,000 in
farm produce. the war resulting IN
such fluctuations in the satisfies as
s36.336. .OO0 in 1896. and sl3. 900 in
1898. Germany comes next with Sl3,-
O49.O 900 in 1900 against S22,523,00O. in
1896. and S41.35S000 in her record
year of 1897. Japan and China made
large gains during the five years,
\ Japan sending us in 1900 S24,76IOCO
against S1S.3S2 900 in 1896. and China
s24.13l 600 in 1900 against slS.649.OO0
lin 1896. France sent us more in 1900
$ than IN any one Of the other years
j given. being S21.052000 as compared
with Sl7.75S.000 in 1896. Hawaii like
<wise made a record in 1900 with S2O.-
X6SS. 900 worth Of farm produce eXpor-
Hted TO US against only $11,710,O00 in
&1S96. Italy's gain was from Sl5,95S.-
loco in 1896 to $50 ,0C0 In 1900, and
Mexico's from $12,751,000 in 1896 to
ESQ, ,OO2 coo in 1900. Other countries
&sent US less than s20,000,O00 annually.
The leading articles OF farm produce
%imported bu us in 1900 were, in the
%order of their importance. sugar,
hides and. skins, coffee, silk, vege-
|Hable fibres, woods, fruits and nuts.
Il hobaCco, tea. wines, vegetable oils and
cocoa. the value of each of these eX
#ceeding $5.000,0O0.