Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/947

 AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY — COMMERCE 825

cultivated scientifically, and where profitable returns are obtained from vineyards, cereals, &c., but the greater part of Algeria is of liinitcd value for agricultural purposes. The northern portion is mountainous and generally better adapted to grazing and forestry than agriculture, and a large portion of the native population is quite poor. In spite of the many excellent roads built by the Government, a considerable area of the mountainous region is without adequate means of communication and is very inaccessible.

The soil is, under various systems, held by proprietors, by farmers, and by Metayers or Khammes. Most of the State lands have been appropriated to colonists. The population engaged in agriculture in 1909 was 3,322,520 ; 213,756 being Europeans. In 1911 the chief cereal crops were, wheat 3,303,405 acres, yielding 19,599,727 cwt. ; barley, 3,360,435 acres, yielding 20,464,953 cwt.; oats, 433,964 acres, yielding 3,453,770 cwt. Other crops are maize, potatoes, beans, and dira. Flax, tobacco and silk are cultivated.

In 1911 there were 371,700 acres under vines, yielding 185,754,096 galls, of wine. The orange, date, mandarine, citron, banana, pomegranate, almond, fig, and many other fruits grow abundantly The production of olive oil is an important industry. In 1909 12,907,908 trees yielded 4,871,087 cwt. of olives and 7,073,572 galls, of oil. Forests cover 6,559,490 acres, and, for the most part, belong to the State and communes. The greater part is mere brushwood, but on 645,000 acres are cork-oak trees, from which in 1909, 140,434 cwt. of cork valued at 136, 631 Z., Avere obtained. The dwarf-palm and alfa are worked on the plains. Timber is cut for firewood, also for industrial purposes, for railway sleepers, tele- graph poles, &c., 'and for bark for tanning. Considerable portions of the forest area are also leased for tillage, or for pasturage for cattle, sheep, or pigs. The forest revenue annually amounts to over 240, OOOZ.

In 1911 there were in Algeria 226,764 horses, 192,484 mules, 279,315 asses, 1,113,952 cattle, 8,528,610 sheep, 3,861,847 goats, and 110,012 pigs.

There are extensive fisheries for sardines, allaches, anchovies, sprats, tunny-fish, oic, and also shell-fish. In 1909, 5,180 persons, and 1,322 boats of 4,914 metric tons were employed in fishing, and the fish taken were valued at 152,034Z.

In 1909, 44 mines (out of 94 concessions) were worked for iron, zinc, lead, mercury, copper, antimony, and petrol. The quantity of iron ore extracted (1909) was 127,426 tons, valued at 59,600Z. ; of lead and zinc ore, 24,758 tons, valued at 150,800Z. ; of copper ore, 14,940 tons, valued at 17, OOOZ. The output of all the mines in Algeria in 1909 was valued at 21,634,043 francs. Petroleum has been found in Oran, 121,020 metric tons being produced m 1908. The output of phosphates in 1908 was 452,060 metric tons, as compared with 373,763 metric tons in 1907.

Commerce.

The foreign trade of Algiers in recent years has been as follows (in 1,000Z. sterling) : —

— ! Imports Exports i — Imports Exports

1907 17,928 i 13,539 { 1910 j 20,213 i 19,731

1908 17,970 I 12,768 \\ '1911 I 22,607 ! 20,537

1909 I 18,190 13,169 |j 1912 j 26,202 j 20,793

Of the imports in 1912 the value of 22, 426, OOOZ. came from France; ,of theexports th,e value of 15, 419, OOOZ, went to France.