Prussia. Luxemburg Bavaria Hanover Wurtemberg Baden.. Hesse Cassel. Hesse Darmstadt Thuringia Brunswick States. H.-Statement showing the products of the mining, smelting, and salt works of the Zollverein in 1862-Continued. Total works. Total weight. Cut. 7,005, 884 9, 011, 246 44,901, 721 13, 279, 846 I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report for the year ending September 30, 1864: Report on the commerce, industry, and agriculture of the Grand Duchy of Baden and Rhenish Bavaria for the year ending September 30, 1864. Commerce and other branches of industry in this consular district, in common with others in Germany, have suffered considerably from the threatening aspect of political affairs during the last twelve months. The American war still exerts an unfavorable influence on some branches of industry, such as cotton manufactories, &c. But this is no longer so keenly felt as formerly. Supplies are partly obtained from other sources, and the industry is partly turned in other channels. Notwithstanding the continuance of the war and the high rates of exchange, exportation was pretty active up to the beginning of July last, especially in wine, as will be seen from table No. 1. The difficulties with Denmark, and the uncertainty how the affair would be finally settled, has had a more immediate influence on business. The pretty generally prevailing fear of a great crisis in the money market has also had a tendency to prevent speculation. This fear has rather been increased by the failure of large houses at London, Liverpool, Paris, Vienna, &c. One of the principal reasons for this is, that so much gold has been sent to the United States to purchase our bonds. Since the 1st of July last, exportation has fallen off immensely, and so long as the duty is so high this condition of things will continue. The new harvest of breadstuffs has been a very favorable average, not only in this region, but generally all over Europe. The prices have remained the same quite moderate all the year. The average price of cereals, at present, is about as follows: The crop of potatoes has been extraordinarily favorable both in quantity and quality. This article of food is extensively used by all classes. It may be said to constitute at least half the living of the poorer classes, so that an unfavorable crop is severely felt by them. Other breadstuffs, on account of the higher prices, cannot well be substituted. The potato is also extensively used for making starch, sugar, and an inferior kind of brandy, or schnapps. The price of esculent potatoes is 1-1 florins per cwt., and for manufacturing purposes, 36-48 krs. per cwt. Hops, from time immemorial, have been very extensively cultivated in the district between Carlsruhe and Manheim, and are known in commerce as the "Schwatzinger hops." This season the crop has been very poor, scarcely sufficient to cover the expenses of cultivation. The inferior article produced sells at an average of 65 florins per cwt. The unfavorable crop here, however, will be counterbalanced by the very favorable one in Bavaria, the eastern portion about Nuremburg, Bohemia, &c. Clover-seed is a very important product of Rhenish Bavaria, Silesia, and axony. In each of these regions the crop has almost entirely failed. The principal markets of England were, to a great extent, supplied from these sources, and, as they have failed, the supply for the next year will probably have to come from America, assuming the crop to have been better there. The tobacco crop has been extraordinarily large, greater even than that of last year. It will not fall short of 450,500,000 centners. In quality it is a very fine average. The continued failure of Virginia tobacco to appear in the market, together with the new tariff regulations in Portugal, gives promise of new markets for the tobacco of the Palatinate, so that it is now in much greater demand than formerly. Hitherto it has been sent principally to the lower Rhine and North Germany. Now there is a prospect of considerable quantities being sent to England, and some large orders have been made for Canada. Recently a few shipments of cigars have been made to the United States, but the high duty prevents it from being a profitable business. Some years ago, before the duty was increased, the cigar trade with the United States was very important. Very little old tobacco is now on hand in the Palatinate. This causes a very brisk sale of the new crop at good prices, ranging from 13 to 17 florins per centner. The finer qualities of Palatinate tobacco are also growing in demand for the purpose of manufacturing better cigars. The present prospects, therefore, are favorable for the cultivation of greater quantities, as well as finer qualities, in this region. Hitherto "Pfaltzer" Palatinate tobacco and cigars were almost synonymous with poor or cheap quality. The wine crop of this year has turned out very indifferent, both in quality and quantity. This was attributable, first, to the cold wet weather in the blooming season, which gave a great backset to the young grapes. Then, in the autumn, the frosty weather came on very early. In many localities the grapes were frozen before they matured. Notwithstanding the very poor quality of the wine, it commands, however, a pretty fair price on account of the scarcity. The price would be yet greater but for the tariff regulations and the high rates of exchange, which, to a great extent, prevent exportation to the United States. So different are the qualities of the same wine that it is very difficult to specify prices. This difficulty gives the exporter the best opportunity of defrauding the government with impunity when duties are collected ad valorem. For instance, an exporter may send a fine Deidesheimer at a low price, and, if the invoice is questioned, can easily prove that Deidesheimer may be bought at the price he has given. The only safeguard is the taste of the taxer or valuer of the wines in the custom-house. In this the finest taste may be deceived, and immense frauds practiced if the exporter is sharp enough not to attempt to gain too much at a time. The prices of wines in Rhenish Bavaria (from which province most wines are shipped to the United States) may be classified as follows: Inferior quality... Second First 66 66 per 1,000 litres.. 80-120 florins. 150-200 66 250-400 66 Eighty florins seem an exceedingly low price, but a mixture called wine can be purchased for that, and frequently finds its way to the United States. The qualities mostly sent range in price from 90 to 130-140 florins. We receive very little over 400 florins per 1,000 litres. These cheap wines are usually shipped by small wine dealers here to German dealers in New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, &c., and, no doubt, are mostly consumed by Germans. Much finer wines are produced in the vicinity of Deidersheim, selling as high even as from 3,000 to 5,000 florins per 1,000 litres. But such qualities find sale in European markets. The export of sparkling wines will probably be entirely prevented, the duty of $6 per dozen bottles being over 100 per cent. for the qualities usually shipped. The use of petroleum is constantly becoming more general, and is rapidly driving oil and oil lamps from the market. The average price for the last year was about 12 florins per 50 kilos. All the petroleum yet used comes from America. Springs have been discovered in the Danubian principalities, but I have heard nothing of the oil appearing in the market. Tables Nos. 2 and 3 show the exports and imports of the ports of Manheim and Ludwigshafen for the year ending October 1, 1864. The port of Ludwigshafen are now being considerably enlarged, and the business and population of the town is on the increase. Some large manufacturing establishments are to be erected soon. A railroad bridge is in process of reconstruction across the Rhine, between Manheim and Ludwigshafen, which will contribute much to attract travel and traffic through both places. This will be the fifth railroad bridge across the Rhine, below the Swiss frontier. No railroads have been opened in Baden for the last twelve months. Several, mostly short ones, are in process of construction, and will be completed during the next year. Statement showing the description and value of the exports from Baden and Rhenish Bavaria to the United States during the fiscal year 1863 and Statement showing the quantity of imports and exports of the port of Ludwigshafen from October 1, 1863, to October 1, 1864. Statement showing the description and quantity of some of the imports and exports of the port of Manheim, during the year ended September 30, 1864 ; also the totals of imports and exports during the same period. |