I|f ^f: j:!; 



'li 



842 



n. i 



Ijlpi 





REPORT — 1884. 



(5) gives in tons each year'3 inipf>vts of beof and mutton, the official returns beinij 

 too imperfect to allow of a separate classification of these iteme for the earlier 

 years, while the last section ((>) represents that part of our foreign supply which 

 luis most largely developed, namely, imported pig-meat such as bacon and pork. 



Mkat Supply or thk United Fvinodom 

 IX Tons. 



OlstUiguisliing Homo J'roilucp of Beef, Mutton, ami Pis,'-mt'iit ami Foreign Live .iml Doail Imiiorti. 



X r. o -H CI « *** o 55 »» 00 c: o ^ CI r: 

 o :5 1- I- I- t>- t» I-" I'- 1^ I'. I- 00 cc crj cju 

 y, yv X X- cc CO x cc 00 oc JL -X j:j cc <x JO 



Before drawing deductions ^■•oiu these figures, I should state that of course 

 more methods than one are possible in estimating the home produce. lu default 

 <jf any officially accepted scale, I venture to adopt with but slight variation, as 

 »suf!icieut at all events for comparative investigation, the scale proposed 13 years ago 

 by a well-known agriculturist. Sir 11. M. Thompson, and corroborated in various 

 particulars at later dates by the inq niries of Sir .James Caird and other statist.s. By 

 that scale one-fourth of the cattle enumerated on each 4th of June, and two-fiftbs of 

 the sheep are assumed as going animally to the butcher, while as far more pig.s are 

 slauglitered in a year than could be counted on any given day, 116 per cent, are 

 take?i as the proportion killed. The weight of meat is arrived at by adopting for 

 the cattle of all ages an average of 000 lb. per head, the sheep I have taken at 

 70 lb. and the pigs at 184 lb. The equivalent a\ .ght representing the meat 

 derived from imported live animals is arrived at by taking the average weights 

 riicorded for the first time by our Agricultural Department in their Report for 

 1>^8;}. While of course the weight of all forms of imported dead meat is given in 

 the records of our Custom House authorities. 



The selection of a fixed rat'j of annual production depending solely on the 

 numbers of our stock may of course be challenged. Prices, competition, cUmatic 

 conditions, or di.sease, may make the home meat sent to market vary greatly from 

 year to year, and it may be urged that the imported supplies should be taken as 

 furnishing the only absolutely known weights, that one invariable standard of 

 individual consumption should then be assumed, and the total, which would thea 



