DEFICIENT INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES & REGIONS 137 



from Hungary to Austria. 1 It will be observed from the table 

 above that there was a marked decline in the sheep ratios in both 

 countries during the periods taken. This decline was also an 

 absolute one, amounting in each case to about 40%. In Austria 

 cattle declined also absolutely to a small extent, and in ratio to the 

 population as much as 11%. The smaller numbers of cattle and 

 sheep in Austria and of sheep in Hungary in the more recent year 

 as compared with the earlier, are apparently due to a reduction in 

 the areas of grazing land available. The advancing population, 

 combined with restrictions as to the importation of cereals, caused 

 land to rise in value, and made stock-rearing on the grazing system 

 less profitable. It is noteworthy that as in Germany, the decline 

 in sheep in Austria-Hungary was accompanied by a marked increase 

 in the numbers of pigs both absolutely and in ratio to the 

 population. It thus appears that the people of Austria- Hungary 

 came to depend more upon pig-meat and less upon beef and mutton, 

 in their supplies of animal foodstuffs. The plains of Hungary are 

 well adapted in climate and soil to the production of cereals, in- 

 cluding maize, and thus furnish the raw material in the form of 

 feedstuffs which is the basis of the increasing pig-rearing industry. 

 At the same time potatoes and barley are grown extensively in 

 Austria, and these crops furnish valuable rations for pig-fattening 

 purposes. 



With reference to animal feedstuffs, Austria-Hungary, as a whole, 

 is deficient in maize, but has a surplus of barley. On an average 

 of years these two items approximately balance each other by 

 values, so that the region is more or less self-contained in this 

 respect. Much of the exported barley, however, is essentially 

 destined for brewing purposes, and not more than one-half of it 

 by values can properly be taken as feedstuffs. 



In animal foodstuffs Austria-Hungary has a declining surplus 

 of meat, 2 has small net exports of butter and margarine, and very 

 extensive net exports of eggs, the latter being produced especially 

 in Galicia and Hungary. Eggs are distinctly a product, as has 

 been noted above, of grain-growing regions and a continued sur- 

 plus is therefore to be expected in the future from these character- 

 istic cereal lands. 



With regard to the future, any shortage in animal foodstuffs is 

 most likely to be felt in the direction of beef ; and beef, as it 

 happens, can be most easily imported from abroad. To what 

 extent beef or any other kind of meat or meat products will be 

 imported, depends upon the economic prosperity and the conse- 

 quent purchasing power of the people of Austria in the industrial 

 towns, upon the rate of development of animal industries in Hun- 



1 In 1911 Hungary exported about 2-4 million tons of cereals and flour 

 in addition to large items of food animals and animal produce (Annuaire 

 Stat., Hongroise, 1911). There is no doubt that an important part of these 

 exports were sent to Austria for consumption there. 



2 Live animals other than horses being reckoned as meat. 



