WITHIN THE BRITISH EMPIRE 289 



Although the trade in horses is not directly connected with that 

 in animal foodstuffs, it is interesting to note in this connection that 

 the Empire, as a whole, imported in the period 1908-13 more horses 

 than it exported, though the difference was not very considerable. 

 If it were so, some account would have to be taken of it, since the 

 agricultural resources devoted to the rearing of horses, could pre- 

 sumably be utilised for food-producing animals. 



The position of the Empire in the production of wool in relation 

 to its consumption of this material, offsets in some measure its 

 enormous deficiency in animal foodstuffs. The British Empire 

 produces between 40% and 50% of the world's total, and has a 

 surplus above consumption of about 600 million Ibs. annually, 

 representing over J of the total consumption of foreign countries. 

 This is not all, because an important part of the Empire's apparent 

 consumption is re-exported to foreign countries in the form of 

 woollen goods from the United Kingdom. When this item is 

 allowed for it is probable that the Empire's virtual surplus of wool 

 is upwards of 800 million Ibs. or, say, 7 million cwt., which may be 

 taken as having at least the same value Ib. for Ib. as meat in terms 

 of agricultural resources required for its production. 



The study of the Empire's deficiencies in animal foodstuffs and 

 also in animal feedstuffs, made in this chapter, points throughout 

 to its lack of widespread intensive systems of agriculture, capable 

 of supplying its high level of consumption in animal foodstuffs. 

 Land resources are abundant, but they remain either partially or 

 completely undeveloped in large areas. In the last resort it appears 

 to be a question of insufficient man-power applied to agriculture. 

 The agricultural industries in the temperate parts of the Empire 

 are working almost everywhere mainly on the extensive plan, and 

 thus utilise a minimum of human labour in proportion to the land 

 area employed and to the output. Throughout those parts of the 

 Empire inhabited by white people it is probable that a smaller 

 proportion of the entire population is engaged in agriculture than 

 is to be found in any other political division in the world. It is 

 stated that the Dominions could all greatly increase their surplus 

 of foodstuffs, given an increased agricultural population ; and the 

 same is certainly true of the United Kingdom. The Empire, as 

 a whole, requires to have an enormously increased area under 

 cultivation for the production of feedstuffs, not only to make good 

 its deficiency in this direction, but also to provide for the main- 

 tenance of food-producing animals and of poultry in much larger 

 numbers than at present, if it is to cover in a more satisfactory 

 way its deficiency in meat, dairy produce and eggs. 



its supplies of meat has increased rather than diminished since 1913. In 

 that year the exports of frozen and chilled meat from the British Possessions 

 amounted to 40% of the world's total output of such products, while by 1916 

 they had fallen to 32%. This is partly a temporary phase, being due to 

 transport difficulties under war conditions, to the drought in Australia, and 

 to abnormal exports from the United States, but it is due also to increased 

 exports from South America which are likely, as we have seen above (Part I.' 

 Chap, iv., p. 61), to grow still further. 



