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