132 THE PROGRESS OF NEW SOUTH WALES—1872 To 1881. 
Horses, 304,100; cattle, 2,014,888; sheep, 16,278,697. We © 
ose the decennary with —Horses, 346,931; cattle, 2,180,896; 
sheep, 33,062,854. Itis a noticeable feature in the returns of 
live stock that whilst the cattle increased by over a million head 
ing the first five years of the period under review, they have — 
decreased by nearly the same number in the last five years, and 
we have now to record an increase of only 166,006 head in the 
ten years. In our sheep-farming operations, the very opposite 
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pr 
exhibit such expansion. In connection with this increase in the 
number of our sheep, the question that forces itself upon our 
attention is this: to what extent our pasture lands will enable 
us to increase our production of live stock, so as to supplement 
the deficiencies of the supply in Europe. It has been estimated 
that the production of meat in the United Kingdom is equal to 
1,090,000 tons, whilst the consumption reaches 1,740,000 tons, 
showing a deficiency of 650,000 tons in the home supply. It 1S 
moreover, known that the continent of Europe is not able to feed 
its own population, the estimated consumption being in excess of 
its production no less than 143,000 tons. The statistics also 
reveal the fact that the cattle of France and the sheep of Great 
Britain are declining in numbers, whilst the average increase ofthe 
population of Europe is advancing at the rate of three millions 
e difficulties of conveyance have now been overcome, 
_since a 70-horse power engine is able to maintain a temperature 
6° below zero in a chamber capable of holding 10,000 frozen sheep 
or 250 tons of dead meat. Some idea of the magnitude 0 the 
_ less than 650,300 tons, of the value of £26,612,000, in the Mer . 
1880. The increased consumption of meat in Europe, it may” — 
observed, is not only attributable to the increase of lation 
