Evening star., 1901-09-06
EXPORTSFROM FARMS
Mr.. Hitchcock's Report on Agricu]-
tural Products Abroad.
UNITED KINGDOM CHIEF BUYER
France Ranks High as Liberal
Customer.
OTHER NATIONAL PATRONS

Mr.. Frank H. Hitchcock, chief Of the
section of foreign markets, has prepared
a report on the distribution of the agricul-
tural exports Of the United States for the
years from 1896 to 1900, the object Of
which is to continue and bring down to
date the statistics published two years
ago In similar report covering the five
year period 1s94-1s9s.
There were q dozen countries in 1900.
says Mr.. Hitchcock, to each Of which the
United States exported over $4,000. 600
worth Of domestic farm produce. Chief
among these countries were the united
kingdom and Germany, the former pur-
chasing to the value Of $403 900 900, and the
latter to the value Of $134. 900 900.
Our agricultural exports to the united
kingdom were the largest on record, ex-
cepting those Of the extraordinary year
1898. when value of $3.50 100000 was at
tained. In our trade with Germany the
exports for 1900 were decidedly In excess
OF any previously reported. Compared
with the shipments for 1885, five years ago,
which were valued at less than $4,000, 600,
they show an increase of nearly 100 per
cent.
After the united kingdom and Germany
the principal foreign market for American
farm produce in 1900 was that of the
Netherlands. to which country exports val
ued at $50 100000 were sent. These figures
were exceeded only in 1899. and then by
less than $1,OOOOOO AS contrasted with
the record for 1896. amounting to 81 ,OOO.-
600, they exhibit striking gain.
France and Belgium.
France ranked next in Importance, and
Belgium fifth. among our foreign markets
IN 1900, the former country receiving agri-
cultural exports to the value Of $45 600 900
and the latter to the value of $33 900, 600.
In comparison with the trade Of 1896 our
expectations to each Of these destinations
displayed an important growth. the ship
ments to France during that year having
value Of only $31 100000, and those of
Belgium a value of little more than $18-
100000. Our exports both to France and
to Belgium, however. attained a higher
value in 1898 than in either of the succeed
ing years. the record for the former coun-
try being $75OOO,0OO, and that for the lat
ter $37,OOO,OOO.
Italy was the sixth country In rank, the
products of the United States agriculture
marketed there during 1900 having value
OF $4,OOO,OOO. Each of the past four years
has witnessed considerable gain In our
exports to that country. In 1896 they were
valued at less than S15,OOO,OOO.
After these six European countries Can
ada was our principal customer, purchas-
ing to the extent Of $21. 100000. The agri-
cultural exports to Canada advanced in
value from $2O.00O.OOO during 1896 to $32.-
100000 in 1898, and then declined to the
figures just quoted for 1900.
The Japanese Market.
Japan furnished a market in 1900 for
over s15.OOO.0OO worth Of American farm
produce. The exports to that country at
ford alone one of the most interesting ex-
amples Of growth in our recent export
trade. During 1895 the shipments barely
On n<nn
years have shown In every instance a de-
cided gain.
Agricultural exports worth nearly 3l5 OOO.-
600 were also marketed in Denmark during
1900. that country furnishing another strik-
Ing instance Of trade development. In 1895
the exports to Denmark were valued at
about 100000. or little more than a third
of the value recorded for 1900.
Cuba was the tenth in importance among
the destinations under consideration. The
amount Of United States farm produce sent
to that island has greatly increased during
the past five years. In 1895 the exports
were at low ebb, having a value of less
than $4OO0,OOO. Since then important gains
have been made each year. eliminating in
a value Of about $4,000, 600 for 1900.
Products Of American agriculture were
marketed In Spain during 1900 to the value
OF $10,5OO,OOO, these figures showing a
slight Increase over the exports for 1896
which amounted to a trile less than $1O-
100000 In the three years following 1895
a considerable decline occurred, but the
lost trade was more than recovered during
1900.
Another country that in 1900 purchased
over $1O.OO0.OOO worth Of American farm
products was British Africa. the exports
to that destination having a value Of $1O,-
100000. or nearly double the value reported
IN 1896 which was only $5,3OO.OOO. AL
though there was a continuous increase
throughout the f1ve-year period 1S96-19OO
the largest gain took place In the last of
these years.
Exports to Other Countries.
After the twelve leading countries men
toned. the most important destinations In
our agricultural export trade for 1900, with
the value recorded In each case, were: Swe-
den and Norway. $5.515, 600: Hong Kong,
s.. .4O4 900; the British West Indies. IS Pa
600; Portugal, ST. 0O5. 600; Mexico. $, ,572 900;
Brazil. 81 1893 600; Austria Hungary, s., ,5OS,-
600; European Russia. $3.215,0OO: Hawaii,
81, ,846, 900; Porto Rico, 81, 81 900; British
Australasia, $2,0S6,0 600; and the Philippine
Islands 81 .607 600.
Our total exports of domestic farm pro-
duce to Cuba, Porto Rico Hawaii and the
Philippine Islands in 1900 had an aggre-
gate value Of over $20tOO0.OOO as compared
with only Sc. .269 600 in 1885, The gain in
these exports during the past five years
exceeded 200 per cent
Other destinations to which the United
States sent agricultural exports in 1900
having value In excess of 81 900 600 were
British Guiana. Haiti. Venezuela, the
French West Indies, Newfoundland and
Labrador and the Chinese Empire
The most striking gain disclosed by the
figures Of 1S96-1900 was that exhibited In
our exports to Asia. The value of the
agricultural produce sent to Asiatic coun-
tries rose from s.. 735.OOO in 1896 to nearly
$23, 100000 In 1900. the latter amount far
exceeding any previous record. Since 1896
the exports have advanced almost four-fold
in value. The increase Of 1900 over 1899
was particularly marked, amounting to
more than $1,000 600.
Trade With Oceania.
There was also an interesting gain in our
agricultural export trade with Oceania, our
shipments to the various islands comprised
under that term amounting In 1900 to Sc
100. 600, as compared with only s. $50, 900 in
1896 The figures returned for 1900 were
the highest ever recorded.
The principal part of our agricultural
exports during 1900. as In previous years,
found market in Europe. Our sales to
European countries for that year had an
aggregate value of $739.0OO.OOO With the
exception OF the phenomenal year 1898.
when our agricultural exports to Europe
reached a value OF $762, ,OO0. 900. these figures
are the largest on record. Compared with