264 CONSUMPTION 



over, the average dairy cow produces generally one calf per annum. 

 Now a small proportion probably not more than a quarter of all 

 the calves produced is required to replace the discarded cows, 

 though the more severe the process of discarding becomes, the 

 greater will obviously be the proportion of calves raised for milch 

 cows. In any case, by far the greater number are available for the 

 production of veal or for rearing as stores for subsequent beef 

 production. The number of calves that are destroyed as soon as 

 they are born as being valueless is now small. In this way also 

 the dairy industry furnishes a large potential supply of meat. The 

 respective proportion of calves that are slaughtered while young 

 for veal, and that are reared to maturity as beef cattle, depend 

 mainly upon the agricultural resources available ; if these are 

 abundant a larger number will follow the latter course, if they are 

 limited, as in some parts of Europe, a greater number will be con- 

 sumed as veal. The extent to which calves of dairy cattle are 

 raised for beef depends also, however, upon the suitability for beef 

 production of the dairy breeds employed. It is significant in this 

 connection to observe that the progress of scientific dairying tends 

 to eliminate the dual-purpose animal (which naturally predominates 

 in all newer countries) in favour of those breeds which produce a 

 heavier milk-yield, but are inferior for beef production, sometimes 

 to the extent of being almost unprofitable for the latter purpose. 

 In this direction the progress of dairying is unfavourable to the in- 

 cidental production of meat. 



IV. 



The existence throughout the temperate regions, of hill and 

 mountain pastures suitable only for grazing purposes, has been 

 noted above ; it was pointed out that such pastures, being essen- 

 tially adapted to meat production, would continue to produce 

 certain limited quantities of meat as a by-product to the production 

 of wool, skins and hides, even if the demand for meat were to fall 

 to zero. Now certain rich pasture lands consisting of heavy soils, 

 in the lowlands of some regions that have a wet oceanic type of 

 climate, are on a somewhat similar footing in agricultural economy 

 as hill and mountain pastures are. The lowland areas in question 

 produce the best agricultural return when under pasture ; they are 

 difficult to work under cultivation and the climatic conditions are 

 unfavourable to the harvesting of grain crops, while they are highly 

 favourable to fodder crops and grasses. Examples are found in 

 Western Europe, especially in Ireland, Western England, Holland 

 and the North Western parts of France and Germany, and they occur 

 in regions with a similar climatic situation, in other parts of the 

 world. All such regions are naturally devoted to animal industries, 



fraction of the average dairy herd does not return in milk even the value of 

 the feedstuffs consumed. See U.S. Dept., Agri. Animal Industry Circular 

 103 (United States) ; U.S. Daily Commerce Report, Feb. 1st, 1912 (Canada) ; 

 Journal Bd. Agvic., March, 1915 (England). 



