1S6 Twenty Years' Agricultural Development. 



growth of the numbers of cattle ; forit appears that, while a 

 very large part is in North America and in other new 

 countries, there is still a very considerable increase in 

 Europe — no fewer than ten millions out of a total increase 

 of fifty-seven millions. It has also to be considered that, so 

 far as cattle are concerned, the new countries are not behind 

 the old, while the increase in meat for consumption is 

 probably greater than the mere increase of numbers shows, 

 through a continuous improvement that has been going on 

 in the breed of cattle whereby their average weight has been 

 increased, and as the fattening process has been accelerated 

 the same numbers of stock supply a larger number annually 

 for the butcher than they did. 



Attention is also called to the fact that during the last 

 twenty years the accessibility to markets of a large part of 

 the herds of the world has been increased. Twenty years 

 ago, in many parts of the world, cattle had hardly any value 

 except for hides, horns, and offal ; but all this has been 

 changed, and is being changed. 



The figures as to meat, therefore, striking as they are,, 

 underrate the effect of the change as regards meat produc- 

 tion and consumption, which has been going on in the last 

 twenty years. 



The figures as to sheep are not so striking as those as to 

 cattle. They resemble at first sight the figures as to cereals. 

 The detailed tables show that in European countries generally 

 there is a decline in sheep, and the increase is exclusively 

 in new countries like Australia and the Argentine Republic. 

 The last remarks as to cattle, however, apply also to sheep. 

 The breed and average weight have increased in each 

 district ; the fattening process has been accelerated ; and, 

 by means of refrigerating and other processes, the sheep of 

 countries that formerly did not count in the supply of mutton 

 to Europe, such as New Zealand and Australia, have come 

 to count a great deal. The meat that existed, but was 

 wasted for want of a market, is now utilised. 



The same remarks apply to swine that apply to beef, 

 subject to the qualification that the percentage increase is 

 not so great. While the growth of the numbers of swine is 



