DEFICIENT INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES & REGIONS 133 



butter being the most important item 1 ; and appreciable numbers 

 of live cattle have been exported overland by way of the eastern 

 frontier. 2 France has been a surplus producer of poultry and eggs, 

 but exports declined between 1900 and 1913. 



When the ratios of live-stock to the population are considered, 

 it is observed that France has maintained, and even slightly in- 

 creased, these ratios on the whole. The following table shows the 

 numbers of the different classes of food-producing animals and of 

 " cattle units " per 100 of the population in the years 1890 and 

 1913 : 



The increase in the ratios of all cattle and of dairy cattle are excep- 

 tional as compared with the movements in most other European 

 countries, while the decline in that of sheep and the increase in 

 that of pigs are in common with the changes in neighbouring 

 countries. It is noteworthy, in connection with the above table, 

 that in the period 1890 to 1913, the per capita production in France 

 of oats, barley and hay remained nearly at the same level in each 

 case throughout. 



It is well known that the population of France has been more 

 or less stationary during the last two decades, and this, combined 

 with the fact that the soil is naturally fertile, has enabled the 

 country to maintain its per capita ratios of food-producing animals 

 and to increase its production of animal foodstuffs without any 

 extensive imports of animal feedstuffs or of food cereals. During 

 the period taken above the per capita consumption of animal 

 foodstuffs rose appreciably, if that of meat 3 is taken as a guide. 

 With regard to dairy products, the per capita cheese consumption 

 was high, while that of butter was low in 1892. The latter has 



1 In 1912 France exported about 17,000 tons of butter, about 12,500 tons 

 of cheese, and about 5,600 tons of margarine, while there were imports of 

 butter of about 6,400 tons and of cheese of about 21,500 tons. France is, 

 therefore, a surplus-producing area in butter and margarine, but is a deficiency 

 area in cheese. 



2 In 1913 the net exports of cattle from France were 57,000 head and of 

 calves 84,000 head, while in the same year the net imports of sheep were 

 925,000 head and of pigs 188,000 head. When these items are reduced to 

 terms of the dressed-weight meat yield, it is found that the exports were less 

 than the imports. 



8 The per capita consumption of meat, other than horse-flesh, rose from 35 

 kilograms in 1892 to 45 kilograms in 1912 (Internat. Agric. Inst., Bulletin, 

 Nov., 1912, p. 185). 



