46 MACARONI WHEAT IN FOREIGN MARKETS.

export of macaroni to the United States and to many other countries.
 Although the macaroni factories in Florence and dependencies
 are of no importance, the importation of foreign wheat flour
is a necessity, as the local production does not equal the consumption.
Steps have been taken by the agrarian committee at Florence
to increase the wheat crops, both by extension of wheat area and by
the selection of seed. Special attention is to be paid to the latter.
Wheat flour is now freed from octroi duty by the municipality of
Florence, while the Government duty is $2.38 per 220.46 pounds.
The wholesale price of wheat flour in Florence is from $5.88 to
$6.17 per 220.46 pounds.
The following are wholesale merchants of wheat flour in Florence:
 Antonio Biondi, 2 Via Calimara; A. Cambi, 1 Via Cimatori}
Castelfranco & Jenna, 4 Via Cimatori; Fratelli Spinelli, 5 Piazza
Signoria. They do not, however, import directly from the United
States. From time to time they have received small quantities of
American wheat flour through Genoa merchants.
Florentines deal directly with Hungarian firms and sometimes
with flour millers of Russia and Roumania.
The Government of Italy is a possible customer for a part of the
surplus product of macaroni wheat in the United States. With an
army of about 200,000 to feed and the necessity of buying a part of
the supplies outside of the Kingdom, there is an opening. Army
flour, it should be remembered, is not white, but unbolted, which is
considered more wholesome and nutritious.
Francis B. KeeNE, Consul.

FLORENCE, ITALY, November 5, 1903.

LEGHORN.

(From United States Consul Smith, Leghorn, Italy.)

The wheat crop this year throughout Italy is reported as being a
normal one, but the average crop, I am informed, only supplies about
one-tenth of the home demand, and Italy must therefore look to
foreign markets for the rest. During 1902 395,675 tons of ‘‘grano
duro” (hard wheat) and 782,052 tons of ‘‘grano tenero” (soft wheat)
were imported. The grano duro is the quality suitable for the
making of macaroni and other Italian pastes. Russia furnishes by
far the larger proportion of Italy's foreign-wheat supply, receipts
from there, of both hard and soft wheat, aggregating 777,485 tons;
from Roumania 264,325 tons were received. It is not possible to
give the exact quantity originating from the United States, the