The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-25
OUR AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS.

OUR AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS.
This country has been called the gran
airy of the world" and is indeed the main
reliance of most other countries for bread
stufs to supply their own shortages. 1t is
also a country Of vast agricultural re-
sources in other directions. and yet 1T falls
far short of producing all that its people
eat and drink. In dispensing her gifts or
soil and climate nature seems to have OBJ
served a sort of equity by which no one
portion of the globe monopolizes all her
favors and each is made more or less de-
pendent ON others. Perhaps the lesson is
that no country more than an individual
liveth to itself alone.
A recent report by the Agricultural De-
partment on the Sources of the Agricul- |
tural Imports of the United States" con-
tains some interesting information as to
the extent end variety of our importations |
of such products and their origin. Their
variety may be inferred from the fact that
the list includes 155 different items, though
not all are direct products Of the soil, live
animals and meat, wool and silk being
classed as agricultural products. So are
bones, hoofs and horns, of which we inn
ported $500 O worth last year and have
averaged s625, 900 worth annually for the
last five years. One would hardly think
that a country where thousands Of hogs
are killed every day in the year would
have to send abroad for bristles, yet last
year we imported 81, 100. 5S7 worth of bristles.
and our annual importations of the article
nave averaged LAOS, 123 for five years past.
One is left to conjecture what use is made
Of this large quantity Of bristles in addi-
ton TO our own product. The largest
single item in our importations is sugar.
of which we imported last year 500, 2O,97f
worth. Most of this came from the West
Indies, but Hawaii furnished $50, 1872, $50
worth, the Dutch East Indies s24,170,0Oo
worth and Germany, of her beet sugar,
Sl2, SAG, 900. These figures show the impor-
lance of developing the sugar industry
both in our new island possessions and at
home. The fact that we are the greatest
coffee consumers in the world and that the
bulk of our coffee comes from Brazil places
that country at the head of the list OF
those supplying us with agricultural prod
ucts. Our total importations of coffee last
year amounted to $751; 67, 943, of which $780,
9O5, 600 worth was from Brazil alone. This
exceeded the value of all agricultural prod
ucts imported from any other country.
Brazil may we'll be apprehensive at the
prospect of the development OF coffee cul-
ture in Porto Rico and Hawaii. Already
our importations from that country are
beginning to fall off, having declined from
$50, Cos, 900 in 1896 to s39. 2S7,0O last year.
Persons who know that Great Britain is
not an agricultural country will be sur
prised to learn that, next to Brazil. our
largest agricultural imports last year were
from the United Kingdom, but that is
easily explained by the fact that most of
these products had their origin in other
countries. chiefly in British dependencies.
and were re-exported from Great Britain
TO this country. The twelve countries from
which last year we imported agricultural
products to the value of more than SO, 000,-
600 each were Brazil, Great Britain, Ger
many, Cuba, Japan, China, Dutch East In
dies, France, Italy, Hawaii, Mexico and
British East Indies. The countries are
named in the order of the value OF the i'm
portations. ranging from $S9.2S7,00 from
Brazil to $50. o02, 600 from Mexico. Our large
importations Of coffee, above referred TO,
| are not approached by those of tea. which
| last year were only s10.55s, 40, as against
$50. 49,. 94s for coffee. But even tea exceeds
| wines, of which our total importations last
year amounted to only s7.421. 4s5. 1t would
II h. N ro,ctoEA hnOraxar 80 ,,NnD. that thfo
represents nearly the annual consumption
of wine, which is produced in large quaint
ties in this country. In the British islands,
where the people prefer tea to coffee, the
figures as shown by our importations OF
these articles would be comparatively re-
| versed. In view Of the great number of
animals of all kinds slaughtered in this
country every year 1t will probably sur
prise most persons TO learn that our i'm
portations Of hides and skins stand second
in the list Of values, being exceeded only
by sugar. Our imports OF hides and skins
last year amounted to ST. $685. SOS. They
came from all over the world, British East
Indies furnishing the largest amount. sl0.-
7S1, 900 worth. France 1873. ooo. Germany S.
1900, and so on. This enormous importa-
ton of hides and skins, in addition to our
own product. indicates great activity in
many lines OF manufacturing. Among the
surprises in minor articles are the importa-
ton Of cheese last year TO the value OF ST.
76l, 613. nearly all OF which we make equally
as good. or ought TO. or egg yolks we i'm
ported s9.s25 worth from Germany and $3.50
worth from China They will scarcely be-
come popular in a land Of fresh eggs. One
would suppose we made all the glue we
needed. yet We imported last year $500 %
worth. We do not even produce all the
grease we need. for our importations OF the
article last year amounted to 1865. We
raise bees. yet last year We bought s7o.s57
worth OF honey from other countries and