The average values of produce, agricultural, animal, and forest, are, in round numbers: Cereals, fibers, wine, fruit, etc., 2,873,000,000 lire; animals, wool, milk, cocoons, etc., 1,424,000,000 lire; forest yield, 88,000,000 lire; total, 4,385,000,000 lire. The value of accessory agricultural produce, such as vegetables, fungi, poultry, eggs, etc., is not known, but the exports alone of such produce amount to about 80,000,000 lire annually.

The total wine crop in Italy for the year 1894 amounted to 25,816,588 hectolitres; 1895, 24,245,836hectolitres; 1896, 21,373,092 (provisional figures).

MINERAL PRODUCTION.

The chief mineral production for 1896 was as follows, in metric tons and dollars (U. S.): Copper ore. 90,408 tons, valued at $424,719; iron ore, 203,966 tons, value $507,973; lead ore, 33,545 tons, value $892,865; zinc ore, 118,171 tons, value $1,498,129.

Products are: Briquettes, 422,409 tons, value $2,081,645; copper and alloys, 10,319 tons, value $3,426,050; iron, cast, 15,321 tons, value $592,034; iron, pig, 139,991 tons, value $6,606,951; lead, 20,786 tons, value $1,162,469; salt, sea, 422,555 tons, value $856,072; silver, 38,075 kilogs., value $882,228; steel, 65,955. tons, value $4,874,539; sulphur, refined, 71,072 tons, value $1,198,447; sulphur, ground, 89,292 tons, value $1,602,797.

Foreign Commerce.

The following table exhibits the total imports and exports, the precious metals (uncoined silver excluded), and merchandise (special commerce) for the years given:

The leading imports and exports for the years 1895 and 1896 are shown as follows, in thousands

$226,980,874

$200,285,939

of lire :

The imports from and exports to (special commerce) the leading countries are given below in thousands of lire :

The values of the imports into the United States and of the exports from the United States to Italy for the years ending June 30 were as follows:

The principal imports into the United States for the year ending June 30, 1896, were: Argol, $1,488,478; sulphur, $1,586,551; fruits (lemons and oranges), $5,941,855; hides and skins, $843,548; matting (floor), $684,886; oils (vegetable), $946,722; cheese, $475,940; silk (unmanufactured), $4,587,761; wool, and manufactures of, $533,467; silver, $40. Exports from the United States were: Corn, $583,268; cotton, $10,533,092; refined mineral oils, $1,829,177; tobacco (unmanufactured), $2,874,473; wood, and manufactures of, $714,959.

IMPORTS AND Exports of Gold anD SILVER COIN AND BULLION.

Shipping, Railroads, Post-Offices, Telegraphs. (See Index.)

Money and Circulation.

The money is the same as that of France, the lira being equal to 19.3 cents. The circulation of State and bank notes is shown as follows:

Gold was coined to the value of 1,364,400 lire in 1890; 653,220 lire in 1891; 674,120 lire in 1892; 824,280 lire in 1893. No silver has been coined in recent years. In 1894 bronze pieces were coined to the amount of 3,790,978 lire; nickel, 17,780,200 lire; in 1895, nickel, z,219,800 lire.

The total coinage from 1862 to the end of 1894 was: Gold, 426,332,990 lire; silver, 567,037,025 lire; nickel, 17,780,200 lire; bronze, 83,636,121 lire; total, 1,094,786,336 lire. The recoinage was 28,954,834 lire. For gold and silver coins, see Index.

NOTE.-For further information see this "Year Book," Volume I, pages 61-63.

*Including, for 1893, 9,182,000 lire; for 1894, 2,445,000 lire; and for 1895, 857,355 of notes of the Banca Romana (in liquidation).

Banking.

There are now only three banks of issue: The Banca d'Italia; the Banca di Napoli, and the Banca di Sicilia. In 1896 the condition of the three institutions combined was as follows, in thousands of lire :

There are 759 co-operative credit societies and popular banks, with assets at the end of 1891 amounting to 754,072,665 lire, and liabilities 745,789,445 lire; 150 ordinary credit companies, with assets 1,726,911,882 lire, and liabilities 173,940,689 lire. Eleven agrarian credit companies had assets (1892) 49,812,389 lire, and liabilities 49,759,134 lire. There were 10 crédit foncier companies with assets 1,071,378,107 lire, and liabilities 1,063,418,487 lire (1894).

In 1895 the ordinary savings-banks had 1,588,412 depositors, their total deposits amounting to 1,343,723,104 lire.

* Figures are for the year 1893.

BELGIUM.

Area and Population.

The area of Belgium is 11,373 square miles. According to the census of 1890, the population was then 6,069,321; in 1880 it was 5,520,009; in 1870, 5,087,826; in 1860, 4,731,996; in 1850, 4,426,205; and in 1840, 4,072,619. The population per square mile in 1896 was 571.1; total population Dec. 31, 6,495,886.

The following table shows the revenue and expenditures, in thousands of francs, for the years indicated:

-Expenditure-
Special.

1,000 fr.

1,000 fr.

1,000 fr.

Total. 1,000 fr.

190,537

14,905

216,908

291,921

102,294

382,908

313,170

19,915

340,526

37,878

402,559

395,730

410,383

55,054

441,228

The amended budget for the year 1897 was: Ordinary revenue, 386,923,178 francs, and ordinary expenditure, 386,295,842 francs.

The national liabilities in 1897 were: Share of the Netherlands debt, at 2% per cent., 219,959,632 francs; loans at 3 per cent., 2,088,537,690 francs, and the floating debt (treasury bonds), 20,000,000 francs, making a total of 2,328,497,322 francs.

Agriculture.

Of the 2,945,715 hectares which compose the area of Belgium, 67.34 per cent. are under cultivation, and 16.61 per cent, under forest, 7.88 per cent, uncultivated, the rest roads, marshes, rivers, etc. The agricultural population in 1880 numbered 1,199,319, or 21.77.

In 1880, the various agricultural products were distributed as follows (in hectares): Cereals, 934,663; peas, beans, etc., 33,093; sugar beet, 32,627; flax, 40,078; other ornamental plants, 24.070; root plants, 36,153; potatoes, 199,357; grasses, 536,000; heaths, brushwood, land not regularly cultivated, etc., 231,964; fallow, groves, orchards, etc., 146,592; forests, 489,423. The principal cereals were wheat, 275,931 hectares; oats, 249.486; rye, 277,640.

The estimated yield of the various crops in 1896 was as follows: Wheat, 7,238,595 hectolitres; barley, 1,445,616 hectolitres; oats, 8,477,118 hectolitres; rye, 7,422,135 hectolitres; potatoes, 31,679,940 · quintals; beet (sugar), 9,374,551 quintals; beet (other), 9,814,386 quintals. In 1895, the yield of tobacco was 5,166.000 kilogrammes.

The total value of agricultural products in 1880 was 1.412,224,000 francs; and of animal produce, 238,752,380 francs. The net revenue from forests alone in 1890 was 4,830,884 francs. In 1880 there were 271,974 horses, 1,382,815 horned cattle, 365,400 sheep, and 646,375 pigs.

1 hectare = 2.471 acres. 1 kilogramme = 2.2046 pounds avoirdupois.

The production of pig iron and manufactures of iron were as follows:

The lead produced in 1896 amounted to 17,222 tons, and in 1897, 14,800 tons; 149,599 tons of zinc crude and sheet, in 1896, valued at $12,427,000; and 28,509 kilog. of silver, valued at $638,000. In 1897* the pig-iron production was 1,034,732 tons; steel ingots, 616,604 tons.

Foreign Commerce.

The imports and exports of Belgium, under "special" and "general" trade, were as follows, in

francs:

-Special Trade

Imports.

1,672,100,000

1,799,800,000

1,536,500,000

1,575,900,000

1,574,500,000

1,680,400,000

1,776,700,000

1,437,000,000

1,519,000,000

1,369,400,000

1,355,900,000

1,303,700,000

1,385,400,00

1,467,900,000

0

francs:

The leading articles of " special trade" for 1896 and 1897 are shown as follows, in thousands of

The values of the imports and exports as between the United States and Belgium, for years ending June 30, were as follows, in thousands of dollars: