54 CATTLE DISEASES 



Imports of Fresh Beef from Argentina. 



Year. Cwts. 



1899 150,365 Free importation for 



slaughter at port. 



1900 142,262 Up to April. 



1901 ...Immediate rise ... 771,929 Prohibited. 



1902 923,748 Prohibited. 



1903 1,152,211 Part time prohibited. 



1904 ...Immediate rise ... 1,675,271 Prohibited. 



1905 2,580,152 Prohibited. 



Total weight, 



Live cattle. Cwts. live and dead, 



Cwts. 



1899 85,365 representing 524,385 ... 674,750 



1900 38,562 242,390 ... 384,652 



1903 27,817 178,824 ... 1,331,035 



These figures show that there is now imported from Argentina more 

 than twice as much beef as was imported before the total prohibition 

 of live stock from Argentina. 



Imports of Live Cattle and Fresh Beef from Canada. 



Live cattle. Fresh beef. 



Cwts. 



*1887-1891 (1) 88,091 5,722 



fl893-1897 (2) 97,865 4,632 



j-1901-1905 (3) 133,605 13,738(1901-4) 



Figures for 1905 not yet available. 

 * Before prohibition of store stock, f After prohibition of store stock. 



(1) About 50,000 of these were store stock, not fat. (2) All fat. 



(3) All fat. 



This shows that more than twice the weight of fresh beef, live and 

 dead, is now imported from Canada as was imported before the pro- 

 hibition of store stock. 



FROM THE PRODUCERS POINT OF VIEW. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the increased importations have 

 kept prices very low, the home producer has found that, on the 

 whole, the production of meat and milk has been the least 

 unsatisfactory feature of British Agriculture ; but this condition 

 has been brought about, and its continuance made possible, 

 solely by the security that farmers have felt against any risk of 

 disease. Were the introduction of Contagious Disease rendered 

 probable, as it would be by any relaxation of existing restrictions, 

 and the possibility of valuable herds (which it has taken years of 

 careful selection to build up) being lost, and only a portion of 

 their value being recoverable as compensation, it would, be quite 

 impossible to produce either meat or milk at present prices. 



