122 ANIMAL FOOD EESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS 



corresponding period of 1883, and 32,063 cwts. in 1882. 

 Eeckoning at 60 lbs. the weight of a carcass, this import 

 is at the rate of 592,600 sheep in the year, or an aver- 

 age of 11,400 sheep per week. This is equivalent to 

 doubling the number of sheep, though not doubling the 

 weight of mutton, at the Metropolitan Cattle Market, as 

 there were shown in that market in the year 1882 just 

 -561,600 head, or 10,700 per week. The year's total of 

 home and foreign live sheep at the Metropolitan and 

 Deptford market together gives an average of 25,800 

 head per week. 



The prices of sheep in the Metropolitan Cattle Market 

 have been, per stone of 8 lbs. (sinking the offal), as fol- 

 lows : — 



The quantity of sheep imported into London from 

 abroad in 1883 was 803,341, and the home supply sent 

 to the Metropolitan Market was •465,450. Ireland ex- 

 ports about 500,000 sheep and lambs. 



The average weight of the sheep we import is found 

 to be about as follows : — Belgian 70 lbs., Danish 64 lbs., 

 French 56 lbs., Scbleswig-Holstein 64 lbs., Netherlands 

 70 lbs., Norwegian and Swedish 48 lbs., Canadian 68 lbs.. 

 United States 60 lbs. 



In Spain and Southern Europe, the mutton is better 

 than in the north, and replaces beef at the tables of the 

 Tich. Mutton is the flesh food almost exclusively of the 

 pastoral people of Asia and Africa. In Holland and 

 Germany mutton is held in disrepute. 



Goat's flesh is much eaten by the Arabs in Northern 

 Africa. Goats being very plentiful in Greece, their flesh 

 forms the principal animal food in the provinces. That 

 of the kid is considered as good as lamb, and the flesh 

 of the she-goat and buck are both eaten. 



