SECTION M.— AGRICULTURE. 



THE LIVE STOCK INDUSTRY AND 

 ITS DEVELOPMENT. 



ADDRESS BY 



J. S. GORDON, C.B.B., D.Sc, 



PRESIDENT OF THE SECTION. 



On looking over the Presidential Addresses delivered since the inauguration 

 in 1912 of the Agricultural Section of the British Association, I noted that 

 so far the Live Stock industry had not been formally discussed by this 

 section. As at the moment those engaged in agriculture are giving far 

 more consideration to the development of the live stock branch of the 

 industry than at any time previously, and moreover, as Government 

 departments have awakened to the necessity for providing State assistance 

 for the improvement of our herds and flocks, I came to the conclusion that 

 an address on this subject would be not only of interest to the members 

 of the Agricultural Section but, through the discussion which I hope will 

 follow, might lead to the making of some practical suggestions for the 

 further advancement of this, in my opinion, the most important branch of 

 British agriculture. 



The Place of Live Stock in Empire Agriculture. 



That the live stock industry occupies a predominant position in our 

 agricidtural economy is shown beyond question by oflS^cial statistics. 

 I have examined the statistics of agricultural production in a nuiiiber of 

 the leading countries of the British Commonwealth, and have divided 

 them into two classes : (1) live stock and live stock products, and (2) crops. 

 The first class includes cattle, sheep, swine and poultry, together with 

 their products, beef, mutton, pork, bacon, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, 

 wool, &c., while the second class comprises cereals, potatoes, hay, straw, 

 flax, grass seeds, fruit, vegetables, &c. 



In the case of Great Britain and Northern Ireland the census of agri- 

 cultural production which was taken in 1925 provides a mass of data for 

 comparing the relative importance of crop and live stock production in 

 these islands. In England and Wales the estimated value of the agri- 

 cultural and horticultural produce consumed by farmers and their families 

 and sold ofi farms and other holdings in 1925 was £225,330,000, of which 

 no less than £154,650,000, or 68-6 per cent, represented the output of live 

 stock and live stock products. In Northern Ireland the value of the 

 output of the agricultural industry in 1925 was £15,058,000, of which 

 £11,809,000 or 78-4 per cent, consisted of live stock and live stock products. 

 In passing I may mention the remarkable fact that in Northern Ireland 

 the value of each of the groups comprised under live stock — live stock, 

 milk and dairy produce and poultry and eggs — ^exceeded the value of the 



