The Fuhtre of AijricuUiiral CcmpetitimL. 
761 
extraordinary prices of 1890. Tliey liave suffered more from 
the diseases' of live stock than from foreign competition. 
In the price of meat, however, there has been a decline, 
although a smaller one than might have been expected. As our 
' home production of meat actually fell off during the decade 
j ending with 1860, there was bound to be an increase of imports. 
It caimot be said that the decline in home production was due 
I to foreign competition during that decade, because prices 
I advanced during the greater part of it. In the next decade, 
j on the other hand, when prices did fall, the home production of 
meat became greater, chiefly owing to the revival of breeding 
which followed the partial relief of breeders from losses incidental 
to the prevalence of stock diseases. The following table gives 
the numbers of cattle, sheep, and pigs in the United Kingdom 
for the three periods dealt with in the preceding portion of this 
I article : — 
1870 
1880 
1890 
Cattle .... 
Sfieep .... 
Pigs 
9,235,052 
32,786,783 
3,650,730 
9,871,153 
30,L',^n,620 
2,863,488 
10,789,858 
31,667,195 
4,362,040 
For 1891 we have further increases in cattle and sheep, 
with a falling-oflf in the number of pigs, the numbers being 
Imports 
1S70 
1880 
1890 
Cattle .... 
Sheep .... 
Pigs 
Xo. 
202,172 
669,905 
96,172 
Xo. 
389,724 
941,191 
51,131 
Xo. 
642,593 
358,458 
4,036 
Beef, fresh 
Beef, salt .... 
Mutton' .... 
Pork, fresh 
Pork, salt .... 
Bacon .... 
Hams .... 
Meat preserverl . 
Meat tmenumerated . 
12,033 
203,713 
36,481 
220,533 
536,844 
30,320 
83,081 
34,300 
cwt. 
727,392 
290,564 
25,056 
384,211 
4,387,082 
947,566 
655,800 
1'49,010 
cwt. 
1,854.593 
274,726 
1,656,419 
45.295 
254,857 
3,790,570 
1,209,446 
734,811 
103,881 
Total dead meat 
Deduct exports . 
1,157,307 
22,952 
7,566,681 
488,000 » 
9.924,598 
1,454,168 
Net imports 
1,134,355 
7,078,681 
8,470,430 
C\Tt. 
Increase in net imports of dead meat for ten years ending 1880, 5,944,326 
„ 1890, 1,391,749 
' Previous to 1882 mutton was included in " meat unenumerated." 
« {Iiports of British and Irjsh meat, included in " provisions" rintil J8S2, 
