EMPIRE 73 



of these commodities. It may be remarked that 

 Canada is the best country in the world for the pro- 

 duction of maize, the yield per acre being twice as 

 much as anywhere else. 



Meat, Bacon, Butter and Cheese. — The following are 

 the details of the meat, bacon, butter and cheese 

 imported into the United Kingdom : 



Beef. — Australia now mainly furnishes us with the 

 beef that comes from the Dominions, and it is from 

 that country that we could get the large quantities 

 which we now obtain elsewhere, subject however to 

 what follows. There are in Australia vast tracts of 

 land suitable for the grazing of stock available, but 

 they are occasionally subject to drought, and will 

 become death traps for the cattle unless facilities are 

 provided for transporting the stock to where water 

 can be had. The increase of the ranching industry in 

 Australia therefore at present awaits the extension of 

 railroad communication in that country. (See the 

 evidence of the Chief Commissioner for the New South 

 Wales Railways at p. 262 of the Minutes of Evidence 

 taken by the Dominions Royal Commission in 

 Austraha, Cd. 7171.) 



Mutton. — Two-thirds of our mutton imports now 

 come from New Zealand and Australia. With such a 



