590 



Imports of Agricultural Produce. 



[JAN., 



amount of whole maize and peas ' if given to them on the 

 grass. The dairy farmer who has some ploughed land is able 

 to provide additional food, which will do much to keep the 

 expense down. Besides home grown corn such as barley, oats, 

 peas, &c, there are the "root" crops of potatoes, parsnips 

 and swedes, which when boiled and mixed with meal will 

 help to increase the weight of the bacon pigs. Green stuff, 

 such as clover, lucerne, maize, vetches, comes in at various 

 seasons of the year and is a useful adjunct to the bill of fare, 

 especially to breeding animals when not in young. 



IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN 1907. 



The total value of the principal articles of food, which may 

 be classed as agricultural produce, imported into the United 

 Kingdom in 1907 was £177,011,000 as against £171,100,000 in 

 1906. 



The number of cattle imported for food showed a decided 

 falling-off, a decrease which was to some extent counter- 

 balanced by larger receipts of fresh beef. There are now only 

 two main sources of supply in the case of live cattle, namely, 

 the United States and Canada ; but our supplies of fresh beef 

 come from the United States, the River Plate and Australasia. 

 During the last few years Argentina has taken a dominating 

 position in this trade, but in 1907 the increasing quantities 

 imported from this source received a check, only 2,692,000 

 cwts. of fresh beef, valued at 32s. per cwt., being received, as 

 against 2,796,000 cwts. in 1906. 



The beef received from the United States is of a decidedly 

 higher quality, the 2,418,000 cwts. imported being valued at 

 42s. gd. per cwt. 



The imports of fresh beef amounted in all to 5,735,000 cwts., 

 while the weight of beef represented by the imports of cattle 

 may be estimated at 3,071,000 cwts., so that the total receipts 

 of meat of this class from abroad in 1907 was 8,806,000 cwts., 

 or about 22^- lb. per head of the population. In 1906 the 

 figures were 9,170,000 cwts., representing 23^ lb. per head, 

 and in 1905 8,716,000 cwts., equal to 22J lb. per head. 

 The declared value of the fresh beef imported was 36s. 3d. per 

 cwt., an increase of about lod. per cwt., while live cattle 

 averaged £17 3s. $d. per head as against £17 6s. xod. in 1906. 



