THE OUTLOOK 291 



1890 1900 * 1911 



Cattle -59 -54 -61 



Sheep 3-2 248 2-8 



Pigs -16 -14 -14 



"Cattle Units" 1-34 1-15 1-27 



It will be seen that, although the ratio of cattle units to popula- 

 tion was high throughout, it fell during the period 1890-1911. 

 Nevertheless, the output of meat per capita of the population 

 probably rose rather than fell, owing to increased production in 

 proportion to enumerations, especially in the matter of the large 

 item of sheep in Australia and New Zealand. It will be observed 

 also, that while cattle almost exactly maintained their ratio, that 

 of sheep declined noticeably, in keeping with the movement in pro- 

 gress in almost all sheep-rearing regions ; but the Empire's sheep- 

 ratio of 2-8 head per capita in 1911 is considerably higher than that 

 of all important foreign countries except Argentina. The decline 

 in the Empire's pig-ratio, as shown in the above table, is remark- 

 able in view of the upward tendency in other parts of the world, 

 and in view also of the fact that the ratios themselves are low as 

 compared with those of a number of foreign countries. This rela- 

 tively small and declining ratio of pigs to population gives rise to 

 one of the Empire's greatest weaknesses in meat production. ^ 



During the period under review the United Kingdom showed; of 

 course, a marked decline in the ratios of food-producing animals 

 to population, while the Dominions, with minor exceptions, showed 

 an increase all round. The sum total of the latter increases, how- 

 ever, was barely sufficient to maintain the balance. The tendencies 

 revealed by a study of the above figures do not promise well for the 

 future. The movements in the live-stock ratios do not indicate 

 that the Empire will be able to meet its consumption of animal 

 foodstuffs out of production to a much greater extent in the near 

 future than in the past, unless the per capita consumption is materi- 

 ally reduced. The only hopeful feature is that the ratios of sheep 

 and cattle are high and that the meat-producing capacity of these 

 animals per annum in porportion to their numbers may be raised. 

 So far, however, as cattle are concerned, the proportion of dairy 

 cattle to beef stock has been rising. This movement, if continued, 

 while it would improve the situation with regard to dairy produce, 

 may affect unfavourably the output of beef. The raising of the 

 ratios of food-producing live-stock within the Empire appears to 

 be urgently necessary, if the latter is to become more self-sufficing 

 in animal foodstuffs. In the United Kingdom in the absence of 

 greatly increased cultivation, this could not be done on a large 

 scale without an enormous increase in the imports of feedstuffs, 

 mainly, perforce, from foreign sources ; and in view of the prob- 

 able high cost of ocean freights for some time to come, it will be 

 found cheaper and more economical to import the finished animal 



1 The figures for 1900 are abnormally low owing to drought condition 

 Australia. 



