Imports of Animals from Ireland. 231 



Imports of Livl Animals from Ireland. 



The Report of the Irish Veterinary Department for the 

 year 1898 gives tables showing the number of live animals 

 sent from Ireland to Great Britain. Cattle, sheep and swine 

 constitute the bulk of this trade, though horses, asses, mules 

 and goats are also included. The total number so exported 

 in i8g8 was 2,270,225 as compared with an average of 

 2,219, 2 97 during the preceding five years. The exports of 

 the past year included 803,362 cattle, 8.33,458 sheep, 

 and 588,785 swine; whilst 38,804 horses, 2,277 asses or 

 mules, and 3,539 goats were also shipped to British ports. 



The description of cattle exported are set out in the table 

 below, which shows the number sent from Ireland to Great 

 Britain during 1898 and the preceding five years. 



Year. 



Fat 

 Cattle. 



Store Cattle 

 for Fattening 

 or Breeding 

 Purposes. 



Other Cattle. 



Calves. 



Total. 



1893 

 1894. 

 1895. 

 1896. 

 1897. 

 1898. 



316,344 

 330,748 

 302,555 

 274,472 

 259,173 

 278,770 



318,545 

 422,534 

 414,859 

 349.800 

 419,302 

 460,903 



8,473 

 7,805 

 5,622 

 3,837 

 5,043 

 4,101 



45,307 

 65,867 



68,571 

 " 53,451 

 62,494 

 59,588 



688,669 

 826,954 

 791,607 

 681,560 

 746,012 

 803,362 



The number of store cattle exported in 1898, viz., 460,903, 



was greater than in any previously recorded year, the largest 



number in any recent year being in 1894, when 422,534 



cattle were exported ; but the total exports of cattle of all 



descriptions in 1898 were 23,000 below the total for 1894; they 



were, however, the second highest number recorded. The total 



number of cattle exported appears to have been maintained 



during the five years shown in the above table at a level 



considerably above that of previous years. Thus the average 



exports in the last twenty years have been as follows : 



1879-83 - - ... . . 654,691 



1884-88 - 696,334 



1889-93 - - ' 649,103 



1894-98 - - - - - - - 769,899 



The number of sheep and lambs exported in 1898 v/as 833,458, 

 which was higher than that of the three previous years, but 

 considerably below the four years 1891-94, when an average 



