762 
The Future of Agricultural Competition. 
11,343,686 cattle, 33,533,988 sheep, and 4,272,764 pigs. The 
addition to our home meat supply derived from the increase in 
live stock, however, falls far short of that derived from foreign 
sources. The imports of the three periods are given on p. 761. 
Poultry and game, the returns for which are in value only, 
are not included ; nor are rabbits, which were not distinguished 
prior to 1886, but were probably given with poultry and game, 
in value only. In 1890 we imported 143,641 cwt. of rabbits. 
I have worked out the weights of imported cattle, sheep, and 
pigs for the years 1880 and 1890, in accordance with the esti- 
mates of dead weight given some years back in the Agricultural. 
Returns, and the results allow of the following comparison of 
live and dead meat imports : — 
1880 
1890 
Increase in 1890 
Dead weight of live stock . 
Net imports of dead meat . 
cwt. 
2,840,290 
7,078,681 
cwt. 
4.039,000 
8,470,430 
cwt. 
1,189,710 
1,391,749 
Totals 
9,927,971 
12,509,430 
2,581,459 
Prices were never higher than in 1873-8 ; or, indeed, 
excepting 1879, I might say 1873-83. In the next table I 
extract from the Agricultural Returns the ranges of prices in the 
Metropolitan Cattle Market, per stone of 8 lb., sinking the offal, 
for 1870, 1880, and 1889 (the latest year given) ; also averages 
for periods which show more fairly the decline in prices :— 
1870 
1880 
1889 
1870 
1880 
1889 
1870 
1880 
1889 
Beef 
d. s. d. 
7 to 5 6 
6 „ 5 11 
4 „ 4 10 
1876-80 
1881-5 
1886-9 
Mutton 
7 to 5 10 
6 „ 6 10 
6 „ 6 4 
1876-80 
1881-5 
188C-9 
Pork 
3 6 to 5 G 
4 1 „ 5 3 
2 6 „ 4 5 
1876-80 
1881-5 
1886-9 
J. d. I. d. 
4 5 to 5 10 
4 3 „ 5 9 
2 9 „ 4 9 
5 5 to G 10 
5 7 „ G 8 
3 7 „ 5 10 
4 Oto5 1 
3 11 „ 4 9 
2 5 „ 4 4 
The figures for 1870 include foreign animals ; but those for 
1876-80 and all later dates are for British animals only. 
estimated at a little less than the exports of that j-ear. All but about 50,000 
cwt. are exports of foreign and colonial meat, for which there were returns 
in 1880. 
