producers. They, too, were watching the work going on in the Empire's laboratories, for they were very much interested. At last, in May, 1897, Bayer, a great chemist at Munich, made the longlooked-for and longed-for discovery. Since then the exports of the German Empire have gone on increasing, while the exports of natural indigo from other countries have been diminishing. In 1897 the exports were 1,036,116 pounds; in 1902, 10,779,972 pounds; expressed in values, $1,142,400 and $5,950,000; or, nearly 500 per cent and this notwithstanding the fact that the effect of the discovery of artificial indigo was to reduce the prices of this dye. Germany paid for natural indigo an average of $2,737,000 in the years previous to 1896; since that time, less than $238,000; last year, only $166,600, while it exports millions of dollars' worth of the artificial, Great Britain taking 710, 124 pounds last year and the United States 1,449,012 pounds. Even the East Indies are down for quite a large quantity in 1902-85,476 pounds. One company, the aniline factory at Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, is reported to be producing more than 1,000,000 marks' worth of artificial indigo every twelve months. Once familiar with the Empire's methods of investigation and experimentation all wonder at results vanishes.

The aniline company at Ludwigshafen has nearly 100 chemists constantly at work experimenting in all kinds of artificial products. If, as in the case of the artificial indigo, a discovery is made by somebody else in another laboratory, the Baden Aniline Company is ready and willing to pay liberally for the rights of production. Nowhere on earth are the essential elements of intelligent practice better joined to theory than in the laboratories of that company. That it pays is proven by the company's enormous growth and dividends.

GERMAN AND FOREIGN FLAGS AT HAMBURG.

(From United States Consul-General Guenther, Frankfort, Germany.)

At the port of Hamburg the majority of vessels formerly carried other than German flags, due principally to the great numerical superiority of that of England. The German flag, however, has dominated since 1899, the English flag taking second place. In 1902 the German flag carried 4,660,000 tons (registered) and all other flags 4,100,000 tons.

The "Hamburg" flag alone carried 3,700,000 tons, against 3,100,000 tons under the English flag. The other flags followed in the order here given: Norwegian, 232,000 tons; Danish, 133,000 tons. Dutch, 124,000 tons; Swedish, 101,000 tons; and all other nations (Austria-Hungary, Italy, Spain, etc.), less than 100,000 tons.

Compared with the year 1901 the German, English, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Austro-Hungarian, and Greek flags show an increase, especially the two latter; the Norwegian, Russian, and Spanish flags show a decrease. Non-European flags are seldom seen at Hamburg; in 1902 only 1 American ship of 2,147 tons, I Brazilian ship of 121 tons, and 1 Argentine ship of 1,068 tons entered the harbor.

The net of regular lines extending from Hamburg across the seas to all the countries on earth shows the colors of the various nations in about the same proportion; 75 regular lines carry the German flag, 38 the English, 6 the Norwegian, 4 the Danish, 3 the Dutch, 2 the Swedish, and 1 each the Russian, Spanish, Belgian, and French.

Of the German lines 13 are between Hamburg and other German ports, as many between Hamburg and Russian ports, 9.between Hamburg and Great Britain, and 32 between Hamburg and nonEuropean countries; 56 lines are owned by Hamburg shippers, of which 6 run exclusively between Hamburg and Great Britain and 26 between Hamburg and non-European ports.

Of the 38 English lines touching Hamburg, 6 connect with America and Africa. The one line which, in 1901, flew the American flag has been discontinued.

In 1902 the regular lines made not less than 7,162 trips (3,873) German), 975 of which were to non-European countries with 2,600,000 registered tons, while the total tonnage of all the trips was 5,700,000 registered tons.

RICHARD GUENTHER,

Consul-General.

FRANKFORT, GERMANY, August 24, 1903.

ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES OF GERMANY.

(From United States Deputy Consul-General Hanauer, Frankfort, Germany.) The electrical industries of Germany form the subject of a brochure published by Dr. Bürner, the syndic of the Association for Guarding the Interests of German Electrotechnics. This expert

says that in the year 1900 about 2,500,000,000 marks ($595,000,000) was invested in that branch of German industry. The severe crisis which it has undergone, and from which it still suffers, is in the main due to the following causes:

1. The electrical companies, instead of confining their activity to manufacturing, engaged in promoting ventures and obtaining concessions, and carried on the building of electric roads, lighting plants, etc., in the towns and rural districts, instead of leaving those enterprises to the municipalities, financial promoters, and private companies.

2. A great mistake was committed in erecting and conducting branch electrical factories in foreign countries, which caused numerous competitors to spring up in those countries and led other German companies to enter the foreign business, thereby producing a sharp struggle to obtain profitable orders.

As a third error, Dr. Bürner names the practice inaugurated by the electrical companies of establishing installation shops in all the cities and large towns of Germany, instead of leaving that part of the business to the resident plumbers and installation concerns.

Dr. Bürner does not favor the plan of uniting the German electrical companies in one common concern. He urges the formation of syndicates to regulate and protect prices and limit production. where such is unprofitable. This main recommendation is to extend and increase the export trade. During 1902 Germany exported 13,499 tons (of 2,204.6 pounds each) of electrical machinery, 8,481 tons of electric cable, 2,295 tons of carbon burners, and 2,206 tons of accumulators.

The continued high prices of meat in Brunswick have caused a number of complaints. A few months ago, when there was a decrease

in the price of cattle, it was hoped that it would be accompanied by a fall in the price of meat. This did not occur and there seems to be no prospect of the hope being realized. At the end of August. the market prices for cattle at the city slaughterhouse, per 110 pounds slaughtered weight, were as follows:

Beef cattle......

Fatted calves......

Small sucking calves......

Wethers...

Sheep

Hogs.....

$15. 23 to $17.66 18.32 to 21.42 14.28 to

16.52

17.37

These prices for hogs have prevailed for some time.

16.52

13.80 to 14.76

The lowest

price for them during the year was slightly under 50 marks ($11.90) per 110 pounds slaughtered weight. The tendency is for still higher prices for hogs than the highest given.

No 279-036

RETAIL PRICES.

According to the statements of the Brunswick Butchers' Union the retail prices for meat per pound at the end of August were:

Beef

Veal

Mutton.

Pork.......

Cents. 17 to 19 18 to 19

18

17

It must be remembered that the German pound is one-tenth greater than the American pound.

A comparison of the wholesale price for cattle with the retail price for meat gives little promise for an early reduction in the latter. The "Freibank," or table, at the slaughterhouse-where meat of an inferior quality but not considered injurious to health. is exposed for sale at low prices-is more frequented than usual. Nothing is allowed to go to waste here which can be made use of advantageously and without injury.

SIBERIAN MEAT FOR GERMANY.

The German butchers' special organ, the Allgemeine Fleischerzeitung, announces that a company has been formed in Berlin to purchase meat in the vast country opened up by the great Siberian Railroad. For this purpose salted meat will be packed in 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) packages and transported in carloads of 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) and then brought for sale to the great central meat market of Berlin. Only the better cattle will be slaughtered for the company, representatives of which start on the journey to make arrangements in a few days. The expenses for transport duty and other outlays are placed at 3,500 marks ($833) for a carload of 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds). The imports are expected to begin in the spring.

TALBOT J. ALBERT, Consul.

BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, September 4, 1903.

WESTPHALIAN COAL SYNDICATE.

(From United States Consul-General Hughes, Coburg, Germany.)

September 15, 1903, is the date set, so far as I can learn, for the three great German syndicates-coal, coke, and briquettes-to be incorporated into one powerful association, controlling the whole market of the Rhenish-Westphalian basin. The statutes are not yet determined, but it is proposed that the adherents shall be bound till December 31, 1915, provided that dissident companies, including those producing at least 120,000 tons a year, join before December

31, 1904; otherwise the group shall be dissolved on December 31, 1905. Should dissidents rally to the movement before September 15 of this year, the new convention will have force from September 30, 1903. The exploitation in this region has nearly trebled since 1895, the increase being from 4,000,000 tons to more than 11,000,000 tons. The more important companies are the Deutscher Kaiser, with 1,576,000 tons; the Gutehoffnungshütte, with 1,575,000 tons; the Krupp, with 1,514,000 tons; Bochum, 1,109,000 tons; Schalke, 898,ooo tons; the Rhine Steel Works, 810,000 tons; and Differdange, 742,000 tons. OLIVER J. D. HUGHES,

COBURG, GERMANY, August 28, 1903.

Consul-General.

SCIENTIFIC POTATO CULTIVATION IN GERMANY. (From United States Consul-General Mason, Berlin, Germany.)

In a recent report, "The potato as a source of wealth in Germany" (ADVANCE SHEETS No. 1599, March 20, 1903), the statement was made that potato cultivation in this country has been advanced by systematic and careful experiment to a high standard of efficiency. In response to the expressed desire of certain American agriculturists for some account of the methods employed here for securing maximum yield and high quality of product, the following report is respectfully submitted:

Potato cultivation, like all farming on a large scale in Germany, is based on an exact knowledge of the soil. This includes not only the elements which it contains, but its underlying strata, exposure, elevation, and surroundings, whether shaded by adjacent woodlands or buildings, and especially its susceptibility to natural efficient drainage. There is no careless, hit-or-miss guesswork as to what the soil may lack or what it contains. The agricultural and technical schools of Germany have trained an army of practical chemists, expert in the analysis of soils and familiar with the elemental requirements of every plant known to German husbandry. The effective value of every kind of fertilizer, its influence on crops planted in sand, clay, or loam, and the efficacy of clover, lucern, and other growths when plowed in to enrich soils in nitrogen are accurately known. The Ministry of Agriculture, through its system of experimental stations, has worked out the whole problem of varieties, soils, methods of planting, cultivation, and harvesting; the farmer has only to follow the methods that modern science has made easy and plain, and with reasonably favorable sunshine and rainfall his result is secure.