OHAP. I. IMPORTS OF EGGS AND POULTRY. 595 



of 541,088, whilst Russia sent us over one-third and received 2,392,044. 

 The following figures are from the Board of Trade Returns : 



IMPORTS OF EGGS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



Year. 



1864. 2,777,485 long hundreds, 1 in value 835,028. 



1869. 3,684,709 1,126,853. 



1874. 5,672,049 2,433,134. 



1879. 6,388,838 2,295,720. 



1884. 8,275,553 2,968,927. 



1889. 9,416,639 3,122,813. 



1899. 16,174,760 5,044,392. 



1907. 18,517,891 7,134,532. 



In addition to eggs, the Poultry imported in 1907 amounted in value 

 to 903,847, so that our total indebtedness to foreign countries for this 

 branch of our food supply, in the last-named year, was rather over 

 eight million pounds sterling. Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, 

 and its products cannot be regarded as coming from abroad, but it is a 

 producing country, and it supplies vast quantities to the larger island. 

 The latest returns show that the supply of eggs and poultry sent from 

 Ireland must annually reach about two and three-quarter million pounds 

 in value. Thus we at once see how important is the whole question, and 

 it is obviously suggested that if the foreign producer can profitably supply 

 our markets, paying carriage over long distances, and only realising the 

 lower prices here, surely the home-producer could have done the same. 

 Nor has there been any great diminution of price, as in the case of other 

 kinds of produce, but, on the contrary, eggs and poultry are dearer to-day 

 than ever they were, except during some abnormal period. Both 

 demand and price have been in favour of the home producer, but that 

 supineness which has permitted the foreigner to capture the butter 

 trade to such an enormous extent, is seen here also, and a large 

 London retailer has declared that he prefers the foreign eggs because 

 he can depend upon them all the year round, while they are more 

 carefully packed and sorted than any English eggs he can buy. 



It must be acknowledged, however, that recent years have witnessed 

 a change in the feelings with which this subject is now regarded. The 

 pressure of circumstances and the force of events have compelled at- 

 tention to those smaller products which at one time were thought beneath 

 notice. The keeping of poultry by farmers is becoming more and more 

 favourably regarded, and the signs of the times are that there will be a 

 considerable development in this direction. There can be no question 

 that in this country the tendency is towards the moderate-sized farm, 

 and this fact, combined with the great increase of Dairying, to which 

 Poultry Keeping is a kindred pursuit, will be greatly helpful to the 

 end we have in view. There are, indeed, to-day, fariners who make a 



1 A long hundred is 120 eggs. 



Q Q 2 



