86 GEOGRAPHY or THE BRITISH ISLES.

Sugar: About II million lbs. of refined sugar, and I6 million lbs. of raw sugar, valued at 22 millions sterling, are annually imported.

Raw sugar is sent chiefly from the East and lVest Indies, Brazil, British Guiana, and India, but the cultivation of the sugar-cane has been largely checked in recent years, owing to the enormous development of the beet-root sugar industry on the continent. Germany alone now sends us refined sugar to the value of over 9% millions sterling a year, and France about 1% million pounds‘ worth. Belgium sends X million pounds’ worth, and Holland about 2 million pounds’ worth of beet-root sugar. The system of bounties, by which

the continental sugar industry has been fostered, has practically ruined the sugar-refining trade in this country.

The Fresh and Tinned Meat trade has largely increased within the last few years, and the meat imports now amount to over 22 millions sterling a year.

Enormous quantities of freslz and tinned beef come from the United States : fresh and tinned mullun from New Zealand, New South Wales, and Argen- tina; rabbils are sent from Belgium, and tinned raébil: from New Zealand, 81c. In fact, almost every description of animal food is poured into this country from all the great meat-producing countries all over the world. From the United States alone we received, in 1892, over 8 million pounds‘ worth of bacon and hams, besides nearly 4% million pounds’ worth of fresh beef.

Live Animals are sent in immense numbers from the United States and Canada, and very largely from Holland, Denmark, and Germany.

Over 6% million pounds’ worth of oxen, sheep, and lambs were imported in 1893. In the previous year, the live cattle sent from the United States were valued at 71/2’ millions sterling, and in the same year Canada sent 1% million pounds’ worth of oxen. Live animals are almost all landed at London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, and other East Coast ports.

Butter and margarine, of the value of 16% millions sterling, cheese (5 millions sterling), and eggs (3% millions sterling), were imported in 1893.

Butter and margarine: Over 224 million lbs. of butler, and 114 million lbs. of margarine, are imported from the Continent into the English market, in

addition to the large quantities of butter sent from Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Cheese : About 225 million lbs. of cheese were sent to this country in 1893, chiefly from the United States, Canada, and Holland.

Eggs: Over eleven hundred million foreign eggs were also consumed, in addition to an enormous home production.

Tea, from India, C/zina, and Ceylon; coffee, from Brazil, Central America, India, and Ceylon; and cocoa, from the West Indies, are the principal non-alcoholic beverages in the United Kingdom.