PRODUCTION IN RELATION TO CONSUMPTION 269 



be observed that when the general system of farming passes from 

 the predominant pastoral to the more intensive forms, the labour 

 and feed materials employed produce a greater proportionate 

 return in human food when devoted to the production of pig-meat, 

 dairy products with veal, and poultry and eggs, than when devoted 

 to the production of beef and mutton. The latter is economical 

 only when land is sufficiently abundant to admit of extensive aiv;:< 

 of pasture ; then the cattle and sheep can largely look after them- 

 selves, and the charges for labour are small. Under the more 

 intensive forms of farming in which the rearing of animals depends 

 to a much greater extent upon arable for the production of fodders 

 and concentrated feedstuffs, and in which hand or stall-feeding 

 consequently replaces grazing largely, the labour and feed materials 

 are much more economically utilised in the other ways mentioned. 



The consumption of poultry products appears to be very elastic 

 at reasonable prices ; practically no friction to expansion arises 

 through the adverse taste or prejudice of consumers. From the 

 figures already quoted (p. 268, Note), it appears that poultry are 

 economical converters of feedstuffs, and considerable developments 

 in poultry-rearing ure to be expected, as has beennoted, in the future. 

 Even in the absence of a meat shortage, the pressure of consumption 

 would favour the increased production of poultry products. 1 



A word requires to be said at this stage concerning the consump- 

 tion of mutton and lamb as compared with that of beef, in its 

 bearing upon production. Among the people of the British Isles 

 and of Australasia mutton and lamb have become established as 

 traditional articles of diet almost on the same level as beef ; else- 

 where, however, among meat-consumers mutton and lamb are of 

 small importance and tend to decline further in per capita 

 consumption. No doubt mutton and lamb are welcomed as a 

 change from beef in the dietary, but pig-meat, poultry and eggs, 

 cheese and veal are perhaps equally capable of furnishing the re- 

 quired alternatives for a varied diet ; indeed they are so used 

 much more widely on the continent of Europe and in North America 

 than in the British Isles and Australasia, where the geographical 

 conditions and the cheapness of mutton have contributed to its 

 position of traditional importance in consumption. On the whole, 

 as has been shown, sheep are losing ground throughout the world, 

 and if it were not for the important joint-product of wool, would 

 be much less prominent as meat-producers than at present. It 

 is the demand for wool rather than that for mutton and lamb that 

 maintains sheep-farming. Under the more intensive methods of 

 agriculture, it is doubtful whether sheep will prove to be as econo- 

 mical even as beef cattle in meat production. Thus in carrying 

 capacity natural pasture lands are estimated to maintain four sheep 

 to one head of cattle, while in meat production per annum the 

 ratio is apparently from 5 to 6 sheep to one head of cattle. 



1 See Part II., Chap, ii., pp. 214-220. 



