During the last ten years the import of manufactured goods has increased 82 per cent., having been 384,767,000 francs in 1873 and 704,450,000 francs in 1883. The increase has been greatest in machinery, iron ships, metal goods, woollens, cottons, and leather. The export of silk goods fell from 301,419,000 francs in 1873 to 226,745,000 francs in 1878, but had risen to 301,200,000 francs in 1883, besides 165,591,152 francs worth of silk and cocoons. The export of woollen goods was 309,300,000 francs in 1878, 401,900,000 francs in 1882, and 370,100,000 francs in 1883.

Not included in the above statements are what are known as temporary importations, valued at 72 million francs in 1883, and which, after being subjected to certain processes, were re-exported for 133 million francs.

The following table shows, according to French returns, in millions of francs the value of the special commerce of France with the leading foreign countries and colonies in 1883 :

The subjoined statement shows, according to the Board of Trade returns, the value of the commerce between France and Great Britain and Ireland in each of the ten years, from 1874 to 1883:

The total imports from the United Kingdom to France amounted

to 29,409,3351. in 1883.

The chief articles exported from France to the United Kingdom are silk-, woollen-, and leather manufactures, sugar, wine, butter, eggs, and spirits, as brandy. The following table gives the declared value, in pounds sterling, of the eight staple articles exported from France to the United Kingdom in each of the two years 1882 and 1883:

These eight articles constitute about two-thirds of the total exports from France to the United Kingdom. Among the remaining third in 1883 were grain and flour 657,3047., cotton manufactures 603,8021., artificial flowers 427,6701., fruit 463,2407. The total quantity of wine exported from France to Great Britain in 1883 was 5,913,891 gallons, being 38 per cent. of the total quantity of wine imported into the United Kingdom. (See p. 446.)

The following table exhibits the value of the principal articles inported from the United Kingdom into France in 1882 and 1883 :

At the head of French exports to the United Kingdom stands that of silk manufactures, the most important industry of the country. Its activity, however, fluctuated much in recent years, owing to the ravages caused by an epidemic. Previous to the outbreak of the epidemic, in 1851, the annual value of raw silk produced was estimated at over 100 millions of francs, or 4,000,000l. It has been as follows during the five years 1879-83:

The quantity of raw silk produced in 1883 from the cocoons was

625,000 kilogrammes, or 1,375,000 lbs.

Land in France is much sub-divided, partly owing to the custom of sub-division of inheritance and partly owing to the facility with which small lots can be purchased. According to recent statistics the cultivable land of France is divided into 5,550,000 distinct properties, 5,000,000 of which are under six acres each, 500,000 averaging 60 acres, and 50,000 averaging 600 acres. According to a cadastral survey begun in 1879, the results of which were published in 1883, the surface of France is divided as follows (hectare 2:47 acres):

=

Hectares.
695,929

26,173,657

4,998,280

2,320,533

8,397,131

6,746,800

702.829

Various cultures

50,035,159

Of the cultivable lands 37,039,040 acres were under cereal crops (excluding beans and peas) in 1883, the produce of cereals amounting to 742,176,807 bushels. Wheat and oats are the leading crops, occupying five-sevenths of the cereal area. The imports of wheat are, however, in recent years much greater than the exports, the leading cereal exports being rye and buckwheat. As will be seen from a previous table, the import of cereals is eight times the export. The area under vineyards in 1883 was 5,240,340 acres. The yield of wine in 1881 was 847,346,500 gallons, in 1882 only 679,777,721 gallons, in 1883 800,000,000 gallons, in 1884 782,566,000 gallons, the average-1880-4-crop being 700,000,000 gallons. The ravages of the phylloxera have in recent years greatly diminished the production, the imports considerably exceeding the exports. Under beet-root in 1883 were 1,204,145 acres, yielding 322,303,120 cwt. sugar. The total value of the cereal crops in 1880 was 5,466,651,920 francs. The live stock of France in 1883 included 2,868,728 horses, 11,756,482 cattle, 23,405,845 sheep, and 5,710,775 swine. The produce of wool in 1882 was valued at 83,272,543 francs, and of lard 18,274,495 francs.

Although France produces considerable quantities of coal and iron, they are not sufficient for her own consumption. The coal production in 1881 was 19,765,000 tons, in 1882 20,603,000 tons, and in 1883 21,446,000 tons. The import of coal in 1883 was 92,581,112 tons, of which 3,848,996 tons came from England and 4,216,924 from Belgium. The total consumption in 1883 was over 35 million tons. The total quantity of iron ore consumed in France in 1882 was 4,820,000 tons, of which 1,425,900 tons were imported. The production of pig-iron in 1883 was 2,067,387 tons, while

308,170 tons were imported. The production of wrought-iron has increased from 617,834 tons in 1870 to 1,073,000 in 1882 and 968,000 in 1883. There were 458,000 tons of steel produced in 1882 and 509,000 in 1883. The imports of metals and machinery are three times the exports, the former in 1883 amounted to 176 million francs, and the latter to 50 millions. The total value of the mineral products of France in 1881 (including salt) was 290,000,000 francs, and the total value of the metallurgical production was 553,022,894 francs. Of other manufactures the production of sugar alone in 1881 was valued at 211 million francs, to which, if we add ceramic industries, paper, glass, gas and its products, soaps, &c., the total value will be 60 millions sterling. The total value of the textile manufactures is not reported. There are 964 cotton factories, employing 102,181 people, with 4,836,553 spindles and 73,590 looms. in 1881; 1,915 woollen factories, employing 111,523 people, with 3,067,459 spindles and 41,466 looms; 565 linen, hemp, and jute factories, with 58,467 workpeople, 672,823 spindles, 17,619 looms; 1,385 raw silk factories, with 45,488 workers and 1,510,898 spindles; 525 factories for silk textures, with 64,576 workers, 242,605 spindles, 14,001 looms, besides 63,055 handlooms. In 1883 there were 151,404 silk-culturists in France, the total production of raw silk amounting to 19,149,587 lbs. The export of woollens in 1883 was 14,804,0007.

The total value of the products of French fisheries in 1883, including deep-sea fisheries, was 4,289,0907., as against 3,718,5207. in 1882. Engaged in the fisheries are 83,572 men, with 22,345 vessels of 155,670 tons.

The following table shows the navigation at French ports in 1883:

Foreign trade

Total French

Foreign vessels

9,759 4,456,003| 456 97,269 10,215 4,553,272 62,504 8,278,932 14,674 943,565 77,178 9,222,497 24,503 8,769,808 1,802 362,365 26,305 9,132,173 87,007 17,048.740 16,476 1,305,930 103,483 18,354,670

52,745 3,822,929 14,218 846,296 66,963 4,669,225| 8,296 4,089,646 3,032 826,815 11,328 4,916.461 61,041 7,912,575 17,250 1,673,111 78,291 9,585,686 15,640 4,707.172 11.1714.476.038 26,811 9,183,210] 76,681 12,619,747 28,4216,149,149 105,102 18,768,896

The following table shows the state of the French mercantile navy

Of the total, 11,112 vessels are under 30 tons.

By a law passed June 11, 1842, the work of constructing railways was left mainly to private companies, superintended, and, if necessary, assisted in their operations, by the State; which, moreover, also constructs, and partly works, railways on its own account. The whole of the railways are classed under two divisions, called 'ancien réseau,' or Old net-work, and 'nouveau réseau,' or New net-work; the former, representing the main arteries of traffic, and the latter the by-roads, laid down with a view to public utility rather than to profit. On this account, the lines coming under the designation of New net-work received the grant of a State guarantee of 4 francs per cent. interest, with 65 centimes additional for a sinking fund, on the expended capital.

The French railways grew from 9,086 kilomètres in 1860 to 27,191 kilomètres in 1884. Up to the beginning of 1883 the State had advanced to the railway companies 809,931,473 francs in capital

and interest.

The French railways at present are largely in the hands of six great companies, as follows: