502 



AGRICULTURE. 



to 1880 to 248, being at the rate of 1.6 per annum. In the 

 seven years from 1882 to 1889 there has been a variation of 

 only 2 per 1000 in either direction from the number in the first- 

 named year. The reduction from 275 per 1000 in 1850 to 235 

 per 1000 in 1889, or about 15 per cent, has undoubtedly been 

 more than counterbalanced by improvements in the quality of 

 the stock, so that the quantity of dairy products yielded in pro- 

 portion to the population is greater instead of being less than in 

 1850. 



If we turn our attention now to the " other cattle," from 

 which our beef supply is mostly obtained, we find, in 1850, 491 

 per 1000 of population. In 1860, this number increased to 542 

 per 1000, or over 10 per cent, and in consequence of the war and 

 an incorrect estimate had dropped by 1870 to 386, a decrease 

 in ten years of 28.7 per cent. In 1880, the number of this 

 ,class of cattle per 1000 of population had increased to 490, the 

 proportion being almost exactly the same as in 1850. From 

 1880 to 1885, there was a continuous and rapid increase, which 

 was due to the remarkable development of the range-cattle 

 industry in that period. Thus, in 1881, there were 502 per 

 1000 ; in 1882, there were 522 per 1000; in 1883, 536 per 1000; 

 in 1884, 550 per 1000 ; and in 1885, 562 per 1000. The increase 

 in the five years, from 1880 to 1885, was 72 per 1000 of popula- 

 tion, or about 1 5 per cent. 



Since 1885 there has been a perceptible and continuous 

 decrease in the proportion of cattle to population. From 1885 

 to 1886, this decrease was only 6 per 1000 of population ; from 

 1886 to 1887, it was 8 per 1000; from 1887 to 1888, it was n 

 per 1000; and from 1888 to 1889, it was 14 per 1000. In the 

 four years the decrease amounted to 39 per 1000 of population, 

 or about 7 per cent of the number given for 1885. The propor- 

 tion of cattle to population in 1889 was almost exactly the same 

 as in 1882. 



In considering the proportion of cattle to population, and in 

 drawing conclusions as to the relative beef supply in different 

 years, the fact should not be overlooked that there has been a 

 great change within the last twenty years, in the character of 

 steers that have been sent to market. New and better blood 

 has been infused into the old stock, and the result is that steers 



