History of Prices Since the Year 1850 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 Excerpt: ...or very close on one-third of the total consumption, and the United States receive 5 millions weekly from Denmark or Canada. Notwithstanding the invention of oleomargarine, Europe is unable to produce enough of butter and cheese, and imports 124,000 tons yearly, with ever-increasing requirements, since population is multiplying faster than cattle. There is, therefore, every likelihood of dairy products continuing to rise in value. The consumption of wine and beer is on a vast scale, together making up 5500 million gallons, or 15 per inhabitant, the proportion being as 3 gallons of beer to 2 of wine. Excluding children, the consumption of wine and beer in Europe and United States is equal to 32 gallons per (adult) inhabitant, male and female. The production of wine has risen only 12 per cent, since 1850, having received such a check by the Phylloxera that 1 million acres of vines have been pulled up in France since 1876. The price of common wines on the Continent has risen 48 per cent, since the decade ending 1850. The sum spent on beer, wine, spirits, cider, &c, in Europe is 10 per cent, more than on grain. In Great Britain it is almost double, although when all kinds of liquor are reduced to alcohol the ratio per inhabitant in this country is by no means high. This is the more remarkable seeing that drunkenness is such a fearful curse in the United Kingdom. Sugar is now produced in such enormous quantities that the price is little more than half what it was thirty years ago, and some of the inferior kinds are said to be used as manure. The crop has quadrupled since 1850, that is, increased 10 times faster than population, the returns showing as follows: --Tea, coffee, and tobacco are small items, together worth 95 millions sterling, or 3 per cent, of th...