In 1895-96, the the total yield of cereals was 16,577,589 quintals, of which 7,070,971 were wheat, and 8,412,263 were barley. In 1896, 122,186 hectares were under vines, the yield being 4,350,120 hectolitres. In 1895, 1,486,779 hectares were worked for alfa, 385,484 quintals being picked. in 1896, 22,073 quintals of cork were sold, value 696,815 francs. There were 5,720,360 kitos tobacco harvested in 1895. Other products are olives, dates, flax, colza and other oil seeds, and ramie.

In 1895, 17 mines were worked for iron, zinc, lead, mercury, copper, and antimony. Iron ore extracted, 94,200 tons, value 722,430 francs; zinc and lead ore, 14,143 tons, value 482,225 francs.

Three-fourths of the trade of Algeria is conducted with France and French colonies. The total "special" commerce was as follows (in francs):

The special trade of Algeria with other countries was as follows (in thousands of francs):

The chief imports in 1896 were: Animals, 8,386,891 francs; animal products, 2,352,223 francs; colonial produce, 7,759,478 francs; timber, 4,458,250 francs; tissues, 1,696,233 francs: clocks, trinkets, etc., 1,532,558 francs. Chief exports were: Flour, etc., 554,807 frames; colonial produce, 4,577,678 francs; metals, 5,081,153 francs.

SHIPPING. - In 1896, 1,654 vessels, of 895,618 tons, entered Algerian ports, and 1,641, of 878,212 tons, cleared. In the coasting trade, 7,836 vessels, of 1,378,950 tons, entered, and the same cleared.

For RAILROADS, TELEGRAPHS, POST-OFFICE, see Index.

AUSTRALASIA.

Commerce with the United States.

The total trade of the Australasian colonies with the United States is given as follows, years ending June 30:

Exports to United States....

1892.
$8,492,306

1893.
$7,266,808

Imports from United States..... 11,368,677 7,921,228

1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. $4,017,025 $4,620,828 $7,579,259 $5,900,144 8,131,939 9,014,268 12,748,074 17,460,283

The following are the chief articles of trade between the United States and British Australia:

The estimated population on June 30, 1897, was 1,311,440. The census periods show the following:

"Services" includes revenue from railways, tramways, post, and telegraphs, etc.

The amount of the public debt on June 30, 1896, was £62,263,473, with mean rate of interest 3.71 per cent. This includes the loan of £4,000,000 floated in October, 1895. Of this amount, fully 82 per cent. has been spent on the construction of railways, tramways, telegraphs, water supply, and sewerage. The net return from these services was equal to 3.15 per cent. of the cost of construction, or 2.47 per cent. of the existing public debt, exclusive of Treasury bills. In June, 1896, the amount still to be raised on which the authority had not been withdrawn was £10,711,148.

The expenditure of loans, exclusive of redemptions, up to June 30, 1896, has been: Railways and tramways, £39,797,126; telegraphs and telephones, £866,732; harbors and navigation, £3,730,910; roads and bridges, £934,568; immigration, £194,430; water supply and sewerage, £7,411,194; fortifications and warlike stores, £1,230,904; public buildings, £2,391,717; public school buildings, £389,633; works in Queensland prior to separation, £49,855; total services, £56,997,069.

The estimated wealth of the colony in 1892 was £593,286,500, of which £189,138,500 was public and £404,148,000 was private wealth.

Agriculture.

The area under cultivation in New South Wales during the last four years and the crops produced were as follows:

Year ending March 31. Area under Cultivation.

Principal Crops.

(Grain..........

-18941,206,992 Acres. Area. P'duce.

Hay..

101,875

100,482

125,797

Bush.

Tons. 136,837 Bush.

-1896 1,348,600 Acres. Area. P'duce. Acres. Bush, 596,684 5,195,312 Tons. 172,614 99,679 Bush.

Acres. Bush.

866,112 8,853,445

211,382 5,754,217

For the year ending March 31, 1896, there were produced 207,771 tons cane sugar, against 320,276 in 1897; wines, 885,673 gallons, against 794,256 gallons in 1897; brandy, 7,149 gallons, against 7,134 in 1897. On January 1, 1897, the colony had 48,318,790 sheep, 2,226,163 horned cattle, 510,636 horses, 214,581 pigs. There were 121,137 persons engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits.

Mining and Manufactures.

In 1896, the value of the gold raised was £1,073,360, against £1,315,929 in 1895. In 1895, silver was raised to the value of £81,858, and silver lead ore and metal altogether valued at £1,560,813; copper, £136,969; coal, £1,095,327. The following shows the condition of the manufacturing interests in 1896, the capital invested account being taken from the census of 1891:

The total import duties in 1895 amounted to £2,047,507.

Wool is the staple article of export. The exports are shown as follows:

Other exports in 1896 were: Tallow, £509,666; coal, £900,264; hides and skins, £638,398; leather, £338,961; meat, preserved and frozen, £605,973; gold coin, £3,602,986.

The following table shows the direction of the sea-borne trade of New South Wales in 1895 and 1896:

The shipping on the registers of the colony at the close of 1896 consisted of 472 sailing vessels, of 51,493 tons, and 493 steamers, of 61.175 tons; total, 965 vessels, of 112,668 tons; while the shipping registered during the year consisted of 24 sailing vessels, of 2,661 tons, and 26 steamers, of 5,541 tons; total, 56 vessels, of 8,202 tons.

The condition of shipping for the years named is shown as follows:

The value of gold, silver, and bronze coin issued at the Royal Branch Mint, Sydney, was:

The assets of the banks (16 in 1890 and 13 in 1896) trading in New South Wales, according to returns relating to operations within the colony for the last quarter of each of the following four years, were:

Notes and

Notes and
Bills of
Other Banks.

Balances Due
from Other

Total

£40,024,354

1894.

7,330,005

100,525

1895..

1,919,017

35,707,151

2:22,730

1896.

324,466

44,527,828

The liabilities of the banks (exclusive of those to shareholders) were:

During the financial crisis of 1893, eight of the banks suspended, but reopened shortly afterwards on a reconstructed basis, and financial operations soon regained their equilibrium.

Of the savings-banks of New South Wales, established in 1832, the Governor is president, and by him the trustees are appointed. Besides the head office in Sydney, there are 12 branches in the country districts. There are also post-office savings-banks. Statistics of both are given below:

There are also banks in connection with land, building, and investment companies. The amount of deposits in these institutions in June, 1896, was £815,136, exclusive of deposits in benefit, building. and investment societies, amounting to £473,880.

VICTORIA.

The colony has an area of 27,884 square miles.

The growth of population by census periods has been as follows: 1836, 224; 1846, 32,879; 1857, 410,766; 1861, 540,322; 1871, 731,528; 1881, 862,346; 1891, 1,140,405. Estimated population on June 30, 1897, was 1,177,304.

Victoria has a debt, incurred in the construction of public works, which amounted on June 30, 1897, to £46,929,321.

The agricultural returns give the area and product of principal crops as follows:

On March 31, 1895, it is estimated there were in the colony 431,547 horses, 1,833,900 head of cattle, 13,180,943 sheep, and 337,588 pigs.

The production of gold forms the chief mining industry, the statistics of which appear below:

Number of ounces......

1890. 588,561

Approximate value..... £2,354,244

1891. 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 576,400 654,456 671,126 673,680 740,086 805.087 £2,305,600 £2,617,824 £2,684,504 £2,694,720 £2,960,344 £3,220,348

The total quantity of gold raised from 1851 to 1890 is estimated at 61,034,682 ounces; value, £244,138,728.

The total number of manufactories, works, etc., in March, 1896, was 2,838, of which about 1,701 used steam or gas engines, with an aggregate horse-power of 36,688; the number of hands employed was 46,332; and the lands, buildings, machinery, and plant were valued at £12,317,290. The manufactures are almost entirely for home consumption.