COMMERCE
1243
The State forests have an area, 1910, of 1,375,000 acres ; parish forests, 1,625,000; church and monastery, 42,500; private, 750,000. The forests consist largely of beech, oak, and fir, but are less profitable than, with proper management, they might be. Cask staves are exported to Austria and France in great quantities.
Servia has considerable mineral resources, including coal and lignite, worked by Government, by Belgian companies, and by private enterprise. In 1911 the output of the various sorts was valued at 15,413,945 dinars. The production of copper ore amounted to 7,023 metric tons, value 8,165,731 dinars, and of coal to 235,058 metric tons, value 3,775,776 dinars. In addi- tion to this 422 kilogrammes of gold were mined, estimated value 1,433,603 dinars ; and 1,693 waggon loads of cement produced, value 759,841 dinars.
Of Servian industries, flour milling is one of the most important ; in 1911 there were 17 large flour mills in the country ; brewing and distilling are extensively carried on ; sugar works and a celluloid factory are in German hands ; weaving, tanning, bootmaking, pottery, and iron- working are also carried on. Carpet weaving is one of the oldest industries in Servia. The product is manufactured principally at Pirot, in south-eastern Servia, and the carpets are named after that place. The chief characteristics of these carpets are that they are made of pure wool, dyed with natural colours by local dyers, who pride themselves that the process -of dyeing and colour mixing is a secret transmitted by father to son and is known only to the inhabitants of Pirot. Meat packing is also becoming important. The total value of the products of all Servian industries in 1911 was 4,872,620Z.
Commerce.
The following table shows the value (25 dinars = £1) of the imports and exports of Servia for five years : —
Year
Iinport-.s i Exports
Year 1 Imports
Exports
1906 .
1907 .
1908 .
£ 1,773,150 2,823,300 3,025,4-20
£
2,864,160 3,259,650 3,019,960
£ 1 £
1909 . 2,941,000 i 3,719,000
1910 . . 3,387,826 3,935,921
1911 . . 4,455,421 4,512,971
The following table shows the chief imports and exports in two years :■
Imports
1910
1911 '
Exports
1910
1911
£
£
£
£
Cotton tissues
292,768
380,004
Prunes
420,452
636,658
Cotton yarn
282,163
242,484
Maize
876,214
557,940
Hides
221,215
241,099
Wheat
499,251
613,264
Woollen tissues .
164,568
72,779 1
Poultry
3,281
142,868
Paper
114,453
96,988
Barley
151,935
115,142
Common salt
r77,254
177,508
Meat
104,408
627,103
Silk .
56,578
61,025
Raw hides
141,634
127,282
Machinery
107,311
223,331
1 Animals .
387,343
265,782
Iron bars .
184,839
103,860
1 Cordage .
34,395
32,911
Wines
15,741
31,320
1 Fruits, fresh
103,99
79,362
