402 



Slaughtering of Young Calves. [aug., 



From all points of view it is desirable that attention should 

 be directed to this subject for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether anything can be done to remedy, or, at any rate, 

 ameliorate, the existing state of affairs. 



I do not advocate opening our ports to foreign store cattle. 

 Or to those from Canada or elsewhere. Apart from the 

 question of disease, I do not think the number which would 

 come in would materially affect the situation. 



But we do not really need, in my opinion, to go abroad 

 for our stores; we breed sufficient in the United Kingdom to 

 serve all purposes, if the whole of those already bred were 

 allowed to reach maturity. 



According to the Agricultural Returns of 1910, there were 

 in the United Kingdom in June, 1910, 4,342,186 cows and 

 heifers in milk and in calf. Apart from barren animals and 

 casualties these would produce : — 



Within the twelve months, a calf a-piece 4,342,186 



Allow for casualties 15 per cent 051,327 



We might expect to find under one year old ... 3,690,859 

 The Returns show of animals vmder one year ... 2,516,707 



Shortage... 1,174,152 



In other words, over a million calves are wasted each year, 

 and if these, instead of being wasted, were allowed to live, 

 our store stocks would be increased by 46 per cent. 



I take it most of the animals forming the shortage are 

 killed for veal. 



It seems to me some attempt should be made to encourage 

 the keeping of such calves instead of sending them to 

 slaughter. We do not, I think, need even to save them all ; 

 if half were saved, it would probably suffice. 



Great Britain is a worse offender in this respect than 

 Ireland, for while in Great Britain 2,767,618 cows and heifers 

 gave 1,396,952 yearlings — 50 per cent., Ireland with 1,557,584 

 gave 1,110,986 yearlings — 71 per cent. 



If, therefore, the Irish standard could be reached in Great 

 Britain, we would obtain half a million more stores per 

 annum, and this would certainly relieve the situation very 

 materially and probably meet the case entirely. What is 

 done in Ireland might, I should imagine, be possible in 

 Great Britain. 



The question is what steps could be taken which would, 



