70 



PRODUCTION 



as is often the case, since wool is in the nature of a harvest from 

 winter growth while mutton sheep require fodder for fattening up 

 till the time of slaughter. The decline in mutton production, 

 symptomatic of a drought may, however, be disguised by the fact 

 that a number of unfinished animals are rushed to the freezing 

 works with the first shortage of fodder. 



The general movements in the live-stock figures in Australia 

 are shown in the following table for 5-year intervals : 



1890. 

 1895. 

 1900. 

 1905. 

 1910. 

 1914. 



SHEEP. 



mill. 

 97-9 

 90-7 

 70-6 

 74-5 

 92-0 

 78-6 



per cap. 

 31 

 26 

 19 

 18-5 

 21 

 15-9 



CATTLE. 



mill. 

 10-3 

 11-8 



8-6 



8-5 

 11-7 

 11-05 



per cap. 

 3-3 

 3-4 

 2-3 

 2-1 

 2-7 

 2-24 



PIGS. 



mill. 



89 



82 



95 



1-01 



1-03 



1-01 



per cap. 

 28 

 24 

 25 

 25 

 23 

 17 



It will be noticed that there has been no general increase in the 

 numbers of any of these three classes of animals since 1890, with the 

 exception of cattle, and even these have not kept pace with the 

 increase in population as shown by the per capita ratios. 



" Considered in relation to population the live stock-attained its 

 maximum in the period 1890-5 arid its minimum in the year 1902." x 

 However, other causes than that arising from changes in the per 

 capita ratios of live-stock have been at work. The operation of 

 these causes becomes apparent on comparing the figures in the 

 above table with those of the values of total exports of animal 

 foodstuffs since the year 1900, as shown below : 



TOTAL VALUE IN MILLION POUNDS OF ANIMAL FOODSTUFFS 2 

 EXPORTED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH. 



1901 4-578 1910 9-1 



1905 5-12 1913 11-75 



Even when the figures for the later years are discounted somewhat 

 according to the rise in prices, it would show that the exports in 

 1913 were about double of those in 1901, while in the period 1900-14 

 the total numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs increased by a much 

 smaller ratio, and actually declined in per capita ratio. 



The progres sof settlement in Australia at the present stage of 

 its development tends to increase not only the total output of all 

 foodstuffs, but also the surplus available for export. Since the 

 first gold-rushes there always has been an important mining popu- 

 lation in Australia, and more recently certain industrial and leisured 

 classes have arisen. Any marked increase in one or more of these 



1 Commonwealth Year Book, Vol. VII., p. 275. 



2 Including live animals, and therefore also horses not intended for human 

 food. 



