The most noticeable features of the statement given above are that the importation of crude food-stuffs and food animals remain about the same in their relation to total imports, that the importation of partly manufactured food-stuffs has decreased, that the importation of materials for use in manufacture has enormously increased, and that the importation of manufactured goods ready for consumption has decreased by nearly two thirds. All of these figures, both of imports and exports, are based on values and not on quantities. The latter would be the most accurate measure of progress, as prices have changed materially--either fallen or increased, mostly the latter--on many important staples; but it would be virtually impossible to consider these matters from a point of view other than that of values, where everything is grouped under an inclusive total, and in all probability the change that might follow a quantitative analysis, rather than one based on values, would not materially alter any conclusions that might be drawn. The changes in American exports during the same period were by percentages as follows: _EXPORTS_ _1830_ _1870_ _1912_ Crude food-stuffs and food animals 4.65 11.12 4.60 Food-stuffs partly or wholly manufactured 16.32 13.53 14.69 Crude manufactured material 62.34 56.64 33.31 Manufactures for use in manufacture 7.04 3.66 16.04 Manufactures ready for consumption 9.34 14.96 30.98 Miscellaneous .31 .09 .38 ------ ------ ------ 100.00 100.00 100.00 The noticeable features of the record of American exports for the last eighty-two years are that the export of food-stuffs has decreased rather than increased in proportion to business in other commodities; that the export of crude manufactured material has greatly decreased, and in fact, with the exception of cotton, has become a negligible quantity; and that the export of manufactured goods ready for consumption has increased enormously. Exports of cotton are now the basis of American export of raw material. Whereas the total production of cotton in the United States in 1830 was only about 1,000,000 bales, in 1912 the United States furnished nearly 11,000,000 bales for export, valued at $625,000,000, amounting to fully five sixths of the value of all raw material for manufacturing purposes exported by the United States in that year.