138 PRODUCTION 



gary, and, as in Germany, upon the nature of the post-war tariffs 

 on imported meats and cereals. When peace conditions are re- 

 stored, it is probable that an acute shortage in animal foodstuffs 

 will for some time be felt in Austria, and the country may become 

 a competitor upon the world's markets for beef, and perhaps even 

 mutton, on a much larger scale than hitherto ; on the whole, how- 

 ever, this seems much less likely than in the case of Germany. 





 (/) SWITZERLAND. 



Switzerland has a moderately dense population, living upon an 

 area a full quarter of which is quite unproductive ; the density 

 in that part of the country which can support life in any form is 

 exceeded by that of but few countries in Europe. In recent years 

 an increasing proportion of the Swiss people have become engaged 

 in manufacturing industries, and the country has become cor- 

 respondingly less able on the whole to meet the requirements of its 

 local and its tourist population from its own agricultural resources. 

 At the present time, therefore, and probably still more so in the 

 near future, Switzerland is to be regarded as a deficient industrial 

 country. Even in 1911 the number of persons employed in 

 industry was nearly equal to the total of those employed in all 

 agricultural industries together with forestry. 



The deficiency of Switzerland in foodstuffs is most conspicuous 

 in cereals, and this denotes a corresponding deficiency in animal 

 feedstuff s. The chief source of agricultural wealth in the country 

 lies in the rich Alpine pastures which have led to a specialisation 

 in the cheese-making form of the dairy industry. In spite, however, 

 of extensive exports of cheese and condensed milk, both of which 

 increased rather than diminished in the years preceding 1914, 

 Switzerland has regularly imported large net quantities of meat 

 (including live food animals) and of butter. A summary view of 

 the position of Switzerland with regard to the leading items of 

 foreign trade in animal foodstuffs and feedstuffs in the years 1911- 

 1912, averaged together, is given on p. 34 above. From these 

 figures it will be seen that the country was then, on the whole, a 

 deficiency area in respect of these articles by values. A detailed 

 consideration of all items reveals more clearty the insufficiency of 

 the local animal industries to supply the Swiss requirements in the 

 corresponding foodstuffs in the years immediately before the War. 

 It appears that by values the net imports of live food animals 

 were nearly equal to the net exports of cheese, and that the milk 

 equivalent of the imported butter and cheese was about half that 

 of the exported cheese. The weakness of the country in cereal 

 feedstuffs is reflected in extensive imports of eggs. 



A study of the live-stock statistics shows that the per capita 

 ratios of all kinds of food animals declined between 1886 and 1911 ; 

 that sheep have declined absolutely, till now their numbers are 

 insignificant, scarcely exceeding that of a single large Australian 

 flock ; that goats are numerically of greater importance than 



