COMMERCE
553
In January, 189(5, 122,186 hectares were \uu\vy vines; the yield in 1890 was 4,350,120 hectolitres. There were 28,620 vine-planters, ol" wliom 10,535 were Europeans.
In 1895, 1,480,779 hectares of forest and other land were worked for alia, the quantity picked being 385,484 quintals. The State cork forests extend over 281,400 hectares; in 1896, 22,073 quintals of cork were sold, value 696,815 francs. Under toliacco were in 1895 6,943 hectares, yielding 5,720,360 kilogrammes. Other products are olives (0,500,000 grafted trees), dates, flax, colza and other oil seeds, and ramie.
There are 3,247,092 hectares under forest, nearly one fourth heing in re- mote districts and unworked. Of the remainder 1,759,495 hectares belong to the State, 70,919hectarcs to communes, and 408,395 hectares to piivatc persons. Of the forest area nmch is so only in name, and the value of the total i»roduce is small. In 1895 there were in Algeria 358,057 horses and mules, 280,803 as.ses, 255,408 camels, 1,121,240 cattle, 7,891,979 sheep, and 3,545,041 goats. The total animal stock amounted to 13,544,719, of which 12,820,019 belonged to natives.
In 1890, 14 mines (out of 51 concessions). were worked for iron, zinc, lead, mercury, copper, and antimony. The quantity of iron ore extracted was 374,000 tons, valued at 2,090,000 francs ; of zinc and lead ore 17,717 tons, valued at 844,000 francs; antimony ore, 058 tons, valued at 95,000 francs. Petroleum has been found in Oram, and fresh phosphate beds in various parts of the country. The production of phosphate of lime in 1896 was 105,738 tons, valued at 2,504,523 francs, mostly from Tebessa. The industry is largely in the hands of English firms.
Commerce.
The commerce of Algeria, like that of France, is divided into general (total imports and exports), and special (imports for home use and exi)orts of home produce). The former was as follows, 1897 (in francs) : —
Geiicnil Comnicrce.
Imports from
Exjiorts to
France .......
Foreign countries and French colonics .
Total
216,175,322
60,726,105
276,901,427
245,978,961 38,868,388
284,847,349
The total special commerce was as follows for five years (in francs) :-
Years
Total
Foreign Countries and Frencli Colonics
Imports
Exports
Imports from
Exports to
1893 1894 1895 1896 1897
231,406,103 259,300,000 255,543,746 269,237,968 264,968,392
169,800,000 242,100,000 284,211,618 231,074,077 270,808,518
46,651,881 59,992,343 52,380,328 51,436:012 48,793,070
27,477,942 34,427,409 38,551,954 34,233,031 38,808,388
