102 PRODUCTION 



proportions, and relieve in some measure the increasing pressure 

 upon the live-stock resources of the United States. 



Mesopotamia is also a region of some promise in the production 

 of live stock. According to Sir William Willcocks, 1 large parts 

 of the country are suitable to live stock, especially sheep, and 

 " live-stock will always be one of the principal exports of the 

 country/' The resources of this region remain, of course largely 

 undeveloped, but progress may be made under more settled and 

 intelligent government in the future. 



TEMPERATE SURPLUS-PRODUCING REGIONS. 

 REVIEW AND SUMMARY. 



It is now convenient to collect into a general summary and 

 balance together the main facts and conclusions already submitted, 

 with reference to the surplus supplies present and future of 

 animal foodstuffs and feedstuffs from the various great sub- 

 divisions of Group I., above discussed. 



North America has already ceased to be an important source of 

 meat and dairy produce, with the exception of certain pig-products 

 and of cheese. There may be a large increase of supplies from 

 the Canadian North- West in the near future. Still the population 

 of the continent is growing rapidly, the standard of living is high, 

 and there is a tendency for consumption to overtake production, 

 as shown by recent importations of finished animal produce from 

 the Southern Hemisphere. North America contributes heavily 

 to the world's exported supplies of feedstuffs. This is really an 

 indication that the more intensive methods of animal husbandry 

 are not widely practised. The adaptability of the people may 

 lead to a somewhat rapid change towards these methods in the 

 future under the pressure of shortage of animal foodstuffs ; and 

 the change in this direction may proceed so far as to create in the 

 more distant future a greater surplus of these products above the 

 local requirements. In this case, however, there would probably 

 be some decline in the quantities of feedstuffs exported. The 

 prospects for the more immediate future do not disclose the prob- 

 ability of any general increase in the exports of finished animal 

 foodstuffs from the North American Continent, but rather the 

 reverse. 



Temperate South America is now the most important source of 

 surplus meat supplies, and a very important source of animal 

 feedstuffs. Unless the area under wheat becomes much greater 

 than at present, there is every likelihood that this region will be 

 able to increase its surplus in both the above-mentioned classes 

 of produce. The greatest immediate obstacle to expansion is lack 

 of sufficient means of transport from the interior to the few effective 

 ports. It is doubtful whether such increases in South American 



1 Geog, Journal, Jan. 1910, pp. 1-15. 





