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 D A I R Y-F A R M I N G [home output. In imported colonial cheese Canada virtually has the participate in this trade, whilst amongst the “ other counfield to itself, for the only other colonial cheese which tries” are Germany, Italy, and Russia. The cheese sent from North America and Australasia is mostly of the subTable XIV. Estimated Home Production and Imports of Cheese stantial Cheddar type, whereas soft or “ fancy ” cheese is into the United Kingdom for the Ten Years ended 30th June the dominant feature of the French shipments. Thus, in 1900. the calendar year 1900 the average price of the cheese imported into the United Kingdom from France was 61s. Home ProImported Imported Year ended Total. duction, per cwt., whilst the average value of the cheese from all Foreign. Colonial. 30th June. estivnated. other sources was 50s. per cwt., there being a difference of 11s. in favour of the “soft” cheese of France. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. The imports of butter and margarine into the United 251,122 60,816 147,078 43,228 1891 Kingdom were not separately distinguished before the year 59,452 253,857 148,624 45,781 1892 252,710 56,767 140,394 55,549 1886. Previous to that date they amounted, at five year 1893 241,663 52,498 57,322 131,843 1894 intervals, to the following aggregate quantities :— 264,803 52,570 61,622 150,611 1895 244,195 1870. 1875. 1880. 1885. 44,569 62,478 137,148 1896 243,345 46,317 67,028 130,000 Cwt. . . 1,159,210 1,467,870 2,326,305 2,401,373 1897 274,994 49,114 77,620 148,260 1898 270,737 46,985 73,752 150,000 For the same years the imports of cheese registered the 1899 258,605 53,903 74,702 130,000 1900 subjoined totals :— 1870. 1875. 1880. 1885. 255,603 52,299 61,908 10 Years' Average 141,396 Cwt. . . 1,041,281 1,627,748 1,775,997 1,833,832 The imports of butter and margarine, both separately finds its way into the United Kingdom is from New Zealand, but the amount of this kind is comparatively and together, and also the imports of cheese in each year insignificant, having been in 1900 only 4000 tons out of from 1886 to 1900 inclusive, are set out in Table XVI., a total import of 128,600 tons. Australia, in several the most significant feature of which is the rapid expansion seasons since 1891, sent small quantities, but they are it shows in the imports of butter. In the space of nine not worth quoting. Table XVI. Imports of Butter, Margarine, and Cheese into the From foreign countries the decline in the export of United Kingdom, 1886-1900. cheese is mainly in the case of the United States, which shipped to British ports 10,000 tons less in 1900 than in Total Butter Butter. Margarine. and Year. 1891. France also is losing its cheese trade in British Margarine. Cheese. markets, and is being supplanted by Belgium. In 1891 France supplied over 3000 tons, in 1900 the import was Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. 887,974 2,431,540 1,734,890 1,543,566 1886 below 2000 tons. Belgium in 1891 supplied less than 1,513,134 1,276,140 2,789,274 1,836,789 1887 1000 tons, but in 1900 contributed 2600 tons. The 1,671,433 1,139,743 2,811,176 1,917,616 1888 import trade in Dutch cheese remains almost stationary. 1,927,842 1,241,690 3,169,532 1,907,999 1889 In 1891 it amounted to 15,300 tons, in 1899 it was 2,027,717 1,079,856 3,107,573 2,144,074 1890 2,135,607 1,235,430 3,371,037 2,041,325 1891 15,600 tons, whilst in 1900, owing to exceptionally high 2,183,009 1,305,350 3,488,359 2,232,817 1892 prices, which stimulated the manufacture, it reached 2,327,474 1,299,970 3,627,444 2,077,462 1893 17,000 tons. 2,574,835 1,109,325 3,684,160 2,266,145 1894 Over 80 per cent, of the cheese imported into the 940,168 3,765,830 2,133,819 2,825,662 1895 925,934 3,963,652 2,244,525 3,037,718 United Kingdom is derived from North America, but 1896 936,543 4,154,345 2,603,178 3,217,802 1897 the bulk of the trade belongs to Canada, which supplies 900,615 4,109,768 2,339,452 3,209,153 1898 nearly 60 per cent, of the entire import. The value of the 953,175 4,343,026. 2,384,069 3,389,851 1899 920,416 4,298,932 2,711,805 3,378,516 1900 Table XV. Annual Imports of Cheese into the United Kingdom, 1897 to 1900. 366

From Canada United States Holland Australasia. France. Other countries Total Canada United States Holland Australasia. France. Other countries Total

1897.

1899.

1900.

Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. Cwt. 1,526,664 1,432,181 1,337,198 1,511,872 680,583 631,616 485,995 590,737 297,604 292,925 328,541 327,817 86,513 32,294 68,615 44,608 35,110 33,086 34,307 36,358 69,910 60,992 42,321 50,657 2,603,178 2,339,452 2,384,069 2,711,805 Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 55-8 61-2 56-1 58-6 25-1 20 8 24-8 24-3 12-0 12-5 13-8 11-4 3-2 1-9 1-3 27 1111-4 2221-6 100-0 lOO'O 100-0 100-0

cheese exported from Canada to the United Kingdom in the calendar year 1900 was close upon £3,800,000. As is shown in Table XV. above, Holland, Australasia, and France

years, between 1887 and 1896, the quantity was doubled. On the other hand, the general tendency of the imports of margarine, which have been much more uniform than those of butter, has been in the direction of decline since 1892. It is necessary, however, to point out that there has been an increase in the number of margarine factories in the United Kingdom, and in the quantity of margarine manufactured in them, during the last few years. Taking the imports of butter and margarine together, the aggregate in 1899 and also in 1900 was practically three times as large as a quarter of a century earlier, in 1875. The imports of cheese have increased at a less rapid rate than those of butter, and the quantity imported in 1900, which was a maximum, fell considerably short of twice the quantity in 1875. In 1886, 1887, 1888, 1890,4 and 1892 the 3 4 6 2 6 imports of cheese exceeded those of butter, but since the last-named year those of butter have always been the larger, and in 1899 were fully a million cwt. more than the cheese imports. The cheapness of imported fresh meat has probably had the effect of checking the growth of the demand for cheese amongst the industrial classes. The imports of condensed milk into the United Kingdom