404 



Farm Land for Poultry Keepers. 



[OCT, 



Canada (795,000 cwt.), amounted to 5,375,000 cvvt. The consign- 

 ments from the latter country showed proportionately a con- 

 siderable rise from 533,000 cwt. in 1902-3 to 795,000 cwt. in 

 1903-4. 



Another farm product for which we arc largely dependent on 

 foreign countries is butter. The supply of this commodity has 

 increased in the past five years from 3,402,000 cwt. in 1899- 1900 

 to 4,361,000 cvvt. in 1903-4, and towards this total Denmark 

 contributes about one-fourth. Of the other Continental countries 

 Russia, France, Holland, and Sweden were important sources 

 of supply, while Colonial butter from New Zealand, Australia, 

 and Canada amounted in the aggregate to 946,000 cut, or 22 

 per cent, of the total in 1903-4. 



Not much variation is noticeable in the imports of cheese, 

 while those of eggs showed a comparatively small growth in 

 the year. 



Owing to the diseased condition of much of the 1003 crop 

 of British potatoes the imports of this tuber were very large, 

 chiefly from Germany, France, and the Channel Islands. 



RENTING OF FARM LAND BY POULTRY- 

 KEEPERS. 



On every side there is abundant evidence that the keeping of 

 poultry as a part of the farm stock has increased enormously of 

 late years, not merely among the small farmers, who are able to 

 give that personal attention without which poultry-keeping can 

 never be successful, but also among occupiers of larger areas of 

 land, both in arable and pasture districts. An estimate has 

 been made that the value of eggs and poultry produced in 

 Britain has increased during the last fifteen years by no less 

 than .£"2,000,000 sterling ; that is, the advance during 1903 

 as compared with fifteen years previously is in value £2,000,000, 

 Whether such a computation is correct or not — and there are 

 those who claim that it is under rather than overstated — 

 it cannot be doubted that the supply of poultry r/roduce is 



