The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-06-30
TRADE
IS ENORMOUS
Reach a Billion Dollars in Value
For Year Ending Today
FARM PRODUCTS ALONE
Bureau of Statistics of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor Presents Detail
ed Report of Interest


Exports of farm products from the
various parts of the United States will
aggregate billion dollars in the fiscal
year which ends with the month of June.
The Governments fiscal year has for
many years ended at the middle of the
calendar year, the purpose being to
give opportunity to classify and arrange
the years figures in time for consider
alton by the Congress whose regular
date of meeting is the first Monday in
December, thus the Bureau of Stats
tics of the Department of Commerce
and Labor presents its detailed yearly
report of commerce for the year ending
June 30th. Figures for II of the II
months of the fiscal year 1911 are now
available, and show exports of cotton
574 million dollars, foo1stuffs 1854 million
dollars, and tobacco 35 million, total
for the II months ending with May of
953 million dollars, making it quite
apparent that the sum added for the
month of June will bring the total ex-
ports of farm products during the fiscal
year 1911 above the billion dollar line.
Cotton as above indicated, is by far
the largest single item, 574 million dol
lars worth being exported in the IL
months ending with May, indicating
that the total for the full fiscal year
will approximate 600 million, against
$50 million in the fiscal year 1910, and
48l million in the former high record
year, 1907, This very large increase in
the value of cotton exports in the fiscal
year 1911 over that of any earlier year
Is due chiefly to the high prices, the
quantity of cotton exported in 1911 be.
ing materially less than in 1909 or 1907.
while the value will exceed by more
than 100 million dollars that of the years
in which the quantity was greater than
in 1911. The average export price of
domestic cotton in May, 1911 was l5.l
cents per pound, and for the 9 months
ending with May, l4.5 cents per pound;
against 14.2 cents in the cotton year
1910; IL cents in 1904; ia cents in 1908;
and less than 6 cents per pound in 1898,
1898 and 1899, these figures being in all
cases for the cotton year ending with
August 3lst.
Meat and dairy products also show a
marked increase in value of exports in
the fiscal year 1911, when compared
with the Immediately preceding year,
being for the II months ending with
May, 1861 million dollars; against l2O
million in the same months of last year;
and for the single month of May, log
million dollars, against 9 million for the
corresponding month of last year. This
increase is due in nearly all cases to
larger quantities, the prices being in
most cases lower than last year For
example the average export price Of
bacon in the month of May, 1911, Is
1873 cents per pound, against l53 cents
per pound in May of last year; hams,
lis cents per pound, against l4.6 cents
in May year ago; lard, 9.2 cents per
pound, against l2.7 cents in the corre-
spending month last year; butter, 2O.7
cents per pound, against % 5 cents in
May year ago; and cheese, H. cents
per pound, against 1916 cents in May
last year.
Other articles showing an increase in
value Of exports in the fiscal year 1911
over that of the corresponding period
of the preceding fiscal year are fruits,
% million dollars, against II 3D. million
a year ago. corn 33 million, against "a
million in the corresponding period of
1910; while cotton seed oil, oil cake and
meal, and -four also show slight advan-
ces in the total value of exports when
compared with the corresponding period
of last year. though wheat shows
mark ed decline in the II months ending
with May, 1911, being but 2la million
dollars in value, against AZ l-3 million
in the corresponding month of 1910.
Europe is, of course, the chief pur-
chaser of these exports of farm pro-
ducts. Most of the cotton goes to
Europe, comparatively small quantities,
however. going to Canada and Japan,
and Europe is also the chief customer
FOR wheat. cotton seed oil. oil cake, live
cattle, and tobacco. Of meat and dairy
pl oducts, the South and Central Ameri-
can countries, Mexico, and the West
Indian Islands take considerable quanti-
ties. though more than half of the
meats 20 to Europe.