The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-07-20

general head of animals imported,
the total value of the imports OF this
species in 1908 having been s5.341,
in 1907 $6,992. in 1906 $4.494, in
l1905 $3,S62, in 1904 $3,5S9, in
1908 s3,24O, and in 1902 s2,412-
the commerce in leeches being thus
of a growing character. The total
value of the leeches imported into
the United States in the decade end
| ing with 1908 is about $4,000.
Snails were at one time enumerated
as an article of importation, the rec
ords from 1894 to 1898 showing
snails imported to the extent of about
5000; but the snail trade so dwin-
died, showing only s24 of imports in
I1S9S, that the bureau discontinued
its statements of this article.
| "Divi-divi" as an article of i'm
lportation has been the subject of
many jests by the humorists during
the tariff discussions of congress,
Though in fact II is an article of no
inconsiderable Importance in the tan
ming industry, the product of a legu-
lminous tree in the West Indies and
South America, entering in the form
of a pod, and amounting in quantity
in 1908 to 1874 thousand pounds,
valued at between two and three
thousand dollars. The value of the
Imports of the last decade has aggre-
gated about $4,000.
Rose leaves are also imported free
of duty when brought in in a crude
state, the value of the imports of
1908 being but sos, in 1907 $2.-
l137. and in 1906 $3.50, the value
of rose leaves imported in the de-
cade ending with 1908 amounting to
over $4,000.
The extension of the chewing-gum
Industry and the use of that product
among the people OF the United
States is illustrated by the fact that
the importation of "chicle" in 1908,
chiefly for use in the manufacture Of
chewing gum, amounted to more than
four million pounds. This article,
"chicle," is obtained in southern
Mexico from the trunks of the sapo-
dilla plum tree, and the importation
of this gum during the last decade
has amounted to about 80 million
pounds, or over 10 thousand tons.
valued at over eight million dollars.
Dragons blood imported, amount
ing on the face of the returns to Is
thousand pounds in 1908 and to over
200 thousand pounds in the last de-
cade, is of course not in fact dragons
blood at all, but a mere name for a
deep reddish resinous substance OBJ
tanned from a variety of trees in the
orient especially the east coast of
Sumatra. and used as an ingredient
in yarnishes, stains and dentifrices.
The value of the importation OF 1908
was about FIVE thousand dollars, and
during the decade about 60 thousand
dollars.
Infants foods also form a eonsid-
cradle item of importation, Al thou
sand dollars worth in 1908, and dur
ing the decade have amounted to
nearly a quarter of million dollars,
on which the duty collected amount
ed to nearly so thousand dollars.
The Importation OF nux vomica
amounted, in round numbers. in 1903
to three million pounds, valued at "a
Thousand dollars, while the quantity
imported in the decade ending with
1908 amounted to about 25 million
pounds, valued at over 400 thousand
dollars. This article comes in in the
form OF large round seeds of a tree
grown chiefly in southern Asia. and
p, is used in the manufacture OF strych-
nine and certain tinctures and tonics
prescribed as medicines, and since It
. does not compete with any product
of the United States enters free of
duty.
Musk importations in 1908 amounts
ed to over so thousand dollars. The
musk of commerce is a secretion of a
special gland of the musk deer, and
comes chiefly from China, Tonkin and
other oriental countries.
Palladium" is also an article of
commerce, though in extremely small
quantities, since the quantity OF pal
ladium imported in 1908 was but
three one-hundredths of one pound.
This small quantity. three one-hun-
'dredths of one pound, was, however,
valued at s21, pound therefore be-
! ing worth approximately 500. In
other years the quantities imported
have been much larger, amounting in
1905 TO over 10 thousand dollars in
value and in 1904 to more than 16
thousand dollars in value. This rare
metal, associated with platinum, while
found in its native state in small
quantities in Germany and Brazil, is
chiefly supplied from the working
over of platiniferous residues of vari-
Gus minis. and is used in the manu-
facture of astronomical instruments.
and by dentists, when alloyed with
silver, as a substitute for gold.