1910.] Imports of Agricultural Produce in 1909. 839 



Argentina and, to a smaller extent, from Australia and New- 

 Zealand, the receipts of beef from the United States, like 

 those of live cattle, being relatively small, and only amounting 

 to 857,000 cwt., as compared with 1,447,000 cwt. in 1908, and 

 2,454,000 cwt. in 1907. The trade returns distinguish for 

 the first time between fresh, chilled, and frozen beef, and 

 831,000 cwt. of the United States beef is returned as chilled, 

 at an average value of 455. gd. per cwt. The largest quantity 

 of chilled beef, viz., 1,827,000 cwt., was received from Argen- 

 tina, but was of lower quality, having an average value of 

 36s. 8d. per cwt. Argentina is also the main source of the 

 supply of frozen beef (2,382,000 cwt.), though the imports 

 from Australia (409,000 cwt.) and New Zealand (454,000 

 cwt.) were of some importance. 



The imports of fresh beef amounted in all to 6,141,000 cwt., 

 while the weight of beef represented by the imports of cattle 

 may be estimated at 2,076,000 cwt., so that the total receipts 

 of meat of this class from abroad in 1909 were 8,217,000 cwt., 

 or about 20-J lb. per head of the population. In 1908 the 

 figures were 8,115,000 cwt., representing 20 § lb. per head; 

 in 1907 8,806,000 cwt., or 22J lb. per head; and in 1906 

 9,170,000 cwt., which w 7 as equal to 23 \ lb. per head. 



Sheep and Mutton. — For some years past, the imports of 

 live sheep have been declining, and in 1909 sheep almost 

 ceased to be imported at all ; the number received being only 

 8,131, a figure which may be compared with the 382,000 

 imported in 1904. 



Fresh mutton is almost entirely imported in a frozen state, 

 and comes chiefly from Argentina (1,437,000 cwt.), New 7 

 Zealand (1,978,000 cwt.), and Australia (944,000 cwt.). The 

 receipts from the two latter countries were rather higher than 

 in 1908, but there was a small decline from Argentina. 



The total imports of fresh and refrigerated mutton 

 amounted to 4,762,000 cwt., while the weight of meat repre- 

 sented by the sheep received alive may be estimated at 4,400 

 cwt., so that the total receipt of fresh mutton from abroad 

 in 1909 was 4,766,000 cwt., or nearly 12 lb. per head of the 

 population. In the two previous years the figures were 

 4,434,000 cwt. and 4,649,500 cwt. respectively, or about 11 lb. 

 and 1 if lb. per head of the population. 



