234 



Production of Meat. 



[JULY, 



products. There is a certain quantity of meat, comprised in 

 what butchers term the " fifth quarter," which is not included, and 

 a considerable quantity of poultry, game, and rabbits must also 

 be added. In the case of milk the small consumption per head 

 among the wage-earning classes is, to some extent, supplemented 

 by separated or skim milk in the rural districts and by condensed 

 milk in the poorer urban districts. 



The methods of calculation by which these figures are arrived 

 at are explained in detail in the Committee's Report. In the 

 case of meat the numbers of cattle, sheep, and pigs annually 

 slaughtered for food are first ascertained as follows : — To the 

 total number enumerated in the agricultural returns at the 

 beginning of the year, the estimated number born during 

 the year is added ; from this total the estimated number of 

 deaths by accident or natural causes, the number exported 

 during the year, and the number surviving at the end of the 

 year (z.e., the total number returned) is deducted, and the 

 remainder is the number slaughtered for food. 



The result showed that on a quinquennial average the 

 proportion of the total number of animals enumerated in 

 agricultural returns slaughtered annually for food was : cattle, 

 27 per cent. ; sheep, 38 per cent. ; pigs, 121 per cent. 



The attempt to arrive at an average weight per carcase of 

 live animals when killed presented greater difficulties than the 

 calculation of numbers annually slaughtered. The Committee, 

 however, obtained a large amount of data on this point, and 

 their conclusions gave a dressed weight per head of 660 lb. for 

 cattle, 95 lb. for calves, 65 lb. for sheep, 40 lb. for lambs, and 

 135 lb. for pigs. 



In considering what figure should be adopted as the average 

 yield of milk per cow, the Committee came to the conclusion 

 that after allowing for calf-rearing, the average yield per cow 

 and heifer enumerated could not be placed at a higher figure 

 than 430 gallons for Great Britain. 



In the case of Ireland the figure of 400 gallons per cow given 

 in the Irish agricultural statistics for 1902 was accepted, and 

 as the cows and heifers enumerated in Ireland formed about 

 36 per cent, of the total, the adoption of 400 gallons for Ireland 

 and 430 gallons for Great Britain, gave an average of about 



