128 PRODUCTION 



It is natural that in all areas of the deficient industrial type the 

 consumption of animal foodstuffs should be of greater comparative 

 importance than in countries belonging to the other groups ; and 

 it is now proposed to consider the production of animal foodstuffs 

 in certain countries of this class with special reference to their 

 consumption of the same articles. Those selected are Great 

 Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Austria-Hungary and 

 Switzerland. . 



(a) GREAT BRITAIN. 1 



In Great Britain and in the United Kingdom, between the years 

 1890 and 1913, there was a decline in the per capita ratios of all 

 important classes of live stock including milch cows, and there was 

 further an absolute decline in sheep and swine. Nevertheless the 

 people of the United Kingdom increased their per capita meat 

 consumption during this period 2 and drew an increasing, rather 

 than a diminishing proportion of the total, from home sources. 

 There was, therefore, a general increase in the productiveness of 

 meat-producing animals as enumerated, owing to a more rapid 

 " turnover." The imports of butter, however, increased con- 

 siderably, owing to the fact that an increasing proportion of the 

 milk produced was required for consumption as such with the 

 growth of population, milch cows having declined in proportion to 

 the population. In fact, during the period under review, so far as 

 animal industries are concerned, dairying was to some extent sacri- 

 ficed to meat production. 



A survey of the consumption of animal foodstuffs in Great Britain 

 in the period from 1890 to 1913 points to a rise in the general 

 standard of living. Not only was there some increase in the per 

 capita consumption, but there was also apparently a considerable 

 increase in the fish supplies per head, while the per capita con- 

 sumption of butter with margarine and of eggs showed no tendency 

 to fall. Cheese was rather an exception in this direction among 

 animal foodstuffs, the per capita consumption having fallen during 

 the period, owing, it is said, to relatively abundant supplies of 

 imported meat. This general rise in the consumption of animal 

 foodstuffs and of fish which has taken place in Great Britain points 

 to the fact that among European populations there is still abundant 

 room for a rise in the general rate of consumption of these food- 

 stuffs, if conditions are favourable ; it is well known that in Great 



1 Ireland has been considered separately in the previous chapter, and the 

 survey of the facts with reference to production and surplus there made 

 throws a useful sidelight on the situation in Great Britain. In the present 

 chapter, it has been found convenient at times to refer to the United Kingdom 

 as a whole, since it is very difficult to present concise figures with regard to 

 exchange trade and consumption separately for the two countries, but the 

 facts relating to Ireland should be borne in mind. 



a The per capita meat consumption rose from about 112 Ibs. in the years 

 1890-5 to about 120 Ibs. in the period 1909-12, though the jearlf figures 

 show a decline from 1906 onwards. 



