STATISTICS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



449 



abundant, skilled artificers are numerous, and the nature of the soil and its 

 distribution are favourable. Hence steam-ploughs are more numerous than in 

 all the other countries of Europe together.* 



It is somewhat curious that notwithstanding the increase in grass land, the 

 live stock of the United Kingdom should have decreased to a considerable extent 

 witJiin the last few years. f This decrease is solely due to the prevalence of 

 cattle plague and other diseases. Ireland is far richer in cattle than the eastern 

 island ; but although Great Britain has, proportionately to its population, fewer 



Fiff. 221. — DisTRiBLTiox OF Cattlk. 



&0 



'uruLte/ 



NORTH 



dxnbvtncfh.' 



swùh/ 



y.MO^'y; 



Mer of Gt. 



Heads of Cattle to the Square Mile. 



Under 25. 25 to 50. SO to 70. 75 to 100 to 125 to 150 to Over 175. 

 100. 125. 150. 175. 



cows and oxen than many other countries of Europe, this deficiency is in a large 

 measure compensated by superior weight and quality. + i^o other country in 



* Steam-ploughs about 1876 : — British Isles, 2,000 ; Germany, 104; Austria-Hungary, 25 ; France, 

 14; Russia, 9; Rumania, 7; Italy, 3; total, 2,062. 



t Live stock of the British Islands (for further particulars see Appendix, p. 49Ô) :^ 



1868. 1872. 1875. 1878. 1880. 



Horses ... — 2,715,307 2,790,887 2,899,066 2,900,464 



Cattle. . . . 9,083,416 9,718,505 10,162,787 9,761,657 9,833,072 

 Sheep .... 35,607,812 32,246,642 33,491,948 32,571,922 30,180,411 

 Pigs .... 3,189,167 4,178,000 3,495,167 3,768,019 2,849,888 



X Heads of homed cattle to 100 inhabitants :— In Great Britain, 20-3 ; Ireland, 74 3 ; France, 30'8 

 Holland, 39-5; Belgium, 23-6 ; Sweden, 47-1 ; Switzerland, 37-2; Denmark, 69-4, &c. 



139 



