Alex and Beers.-In summing up the total receipts of British ales and beers for the year 1912, there will be noted an increase over the year previous. While there appears to be a decrease in the arrivals of packages bottled, this is well offset by the importations in bulk. The figures given in bulk include packages of all sizes. During the past year or two a number of firms here imported British ale and stout in bulk and bottled it in this country. Practically every one of these houses receives its shipments in hogsheads, so that in the aggregate the importations during 1912, when reduced to gallons, would undoubtedly be the largest during the past ten years. The business done in German beers is practically all controlled by the bulk trade. While the receipts of German beers during 1912 do not compare favorably with the years 1907, 1908 and 1909, it will be found that the year just closed exceeds the importations of the two years preceding those mentioned. The competition between the German brewers represented here and the American brewers is very keen. Below will be found the importations of British and German beers at the Port of New York during the past six years: Mineral Waters.-The receipts of mineral waters at the Port of New York during 1912, show a slight increase over 1911, although not sufficient to offset the receipts of 1906, 1907 and 1909. There is a considerable quantity of mineral water consumed in this country, and, like other articles, many of the American firms have exploited their waters with marked effect. Ginger Ales.-The year 1912 shows the smallest arrivals of ginger ale since 1908. Like mineral waters, the business in imported ginger ales is controlled by very few firms. Below will be found the receipts during the past six years: Californian Wines.-The most remarkable feature of the wine trade is the enormous shipments of Californian wines to the East, there having been received at the Port of New York during the calendar year of 1912, 9,824,720 gallons, and these figures only include the shipments made via water. These arrivals show an increase of 200 per cent. over ten years ago. There are a number of reasons to which this enormous increase may be attributed. First, that California to-day produces a splendid wine which is sold to consumers at a figure considerably below imported wines. The falling off in port and sherries and Italian wines is due, in a large measure, to the heavy shipments of Californian wines made to the East during the past few years. Practically every producer of California has either an office or an agent in the East through whom enormous quantities of bulk goods are sold to the trade. There are also a few houses that make a specialty of bottled goods, and while a comparatively few years ago none of the first-class hotels or restaurants would list California wines, to-day conditions are different, and to not find a brand of California wine listed, would be an exception. Practically the entire Eastern business in Californian wines is done in still wines. Below will be found the receipts of Californian wines at New York, by water route during the past six years: 1907. 1908. 1909. .galls. 1,503,700 1910. .galls. 6,065,850 4,042,850 1912. 9,126,650 9,824,720 Alcohol. The following table shows the arrivals of alcohol at New York during the past six years: Domestic Whiskies.-The following comparative table shows the arrivals of domestic whiskies at New York during the past six years: REVIEW OF THE COTTON CROP OF THE UNITED STATES. A great crop, a large demand and a profitable level of prices-these were the distinguishing features of the cotton year ending September 1, 1912. Of the total crop of 16,043,316 bales, 10,696,084 bales were exported and 5,487,191 bales were taken by domestic spinners leaving a stock on hand at close of year of 282,353 bales. It will be observed that almost exactly two-thirds of the total crop was exported, a somewhat larger proportion than in the preceding year. The following table prepared by the Commercial and Financial Chronicle indicates the stock at each port September 1, 1912 and 1911, the receipts at the ports for each of the past two years and the export movement for the past year (1911-1912) in detail, and the totals for 1910-1911 and 1909-1910. *These figures are only the portion of the receipts at these ports which arrived by rail overland from Tennessee, &c. Shipments by rail to Canada. NOTE.-The total exports for 1911-1912 include 34.492 bales foreign cotton, largely Peruvian, most of which was shipped from New York and almost wholly to Liverpool. The total receipts at the Atlantic and Gulf shipping ports this year were 11,778,836 bales, against 8,752,193 bales last year and 7,442,322 bales in 1909-1910, and the exports were 10,696,084 bales, against 7,758,624 bales last season and 6,326,998 bales the previous season, Great Britain getting out of this crop 4,290,771 bales. Adding the shipments from Tennessee and elsewhere direct to manufacturers, and Southern consumption, the following is the crop statement for the three years: Total cotton crop for the year. bales, 16,043,316 12,132,332 10,650,961 The crop weighed 8,260,752,953 pounds for the year ending August 31, 1912, against 6,217,382,145 pounds for the year ending August 31, 1911. Northern and Southern spinners' takings in 1911-1912 have been as given below. Total crop of the United States, as before stated......bales, 16,043,316 At Northern ports... bales, At Southern ports... At Northern interior markets...... 92.920 132.350 Total supply during the year ending Sept. 1, 1912. Exported to foreign ports during the 225,270 240,027 16.283.343 Total takings by spinners in the United States for year ending September 1, 1912..... 5,517,830 Taken by Southern spinners (included in above total) 2,736,217 Total taken by Northern spinners.. 2,781,613 *Not including Canada by rail. Includes 3 732 bales of American cotton returned and 181.968 bales foreign, mainly Egyptian equaling 234,307 bales of American weights. Burnt includes not only what has been thus destroyed at the Northern and Southern outports but also all burnt on Northern railroads and in Northern factories. |