• >- Agricultural Progress and 
brought to market! This diminution in the supply has occurred, 
too, when, in consequence of the high prices of both wool and 
mutton, there has been a strong inducement to flockmasters to 
increase their production to the utmost extent. The deficiency 
may to some extent be accounted for by the largely increased 
quantity of meat sent to Newgate and Leadenhall markets. 
The supplies sent to these markets consist partly of meat killed 
in the metropolis, the live stock having been purchased in 
the Metropolitan Cattle Market : this has already been taken 
into account. The remainder consists chiefly of meat conveyed 
by railway. 
Table G. — Cattle and Sheep brought into Sinitkficld and the Metropolitan 
Cattle Market. 
Average of the 
10 Years, 
18.'i3-184'2. 
Average of the 
1 0 Years, 
1843-1852. 
Increase 
(Numbers). 
Increase 
Per Cent. 
Average" of tbo 
10 Years, 
1853-1802. 
Increase 
(Numbers). 
Increase 
Per Cent 
Cattle 
182,393 
231,911 
49,518' 
27 
284,304 
52,393 
22£ 
Sheep 
1,457,579 
1,626,178 
168,599 
114- 
1,509,536 
Decrease. 
116,642 
Decrease 
1'er Cent. 
7 
Comparing a return lately obtained from the principal Railway 
Companies which convey meat to the metropolis with a return 
furnished by the same Companies 10 years ago, it appears that the 
quantity of meat so carried has increased during the intervening 
period about 37 per cent. Supposing this to consist of beef and 
mutton in equal proportions, the additional 13",400 tons carried 
would give 6,700 tons of mutton, representing — if 80 lbs. be the 
average dead weight of a sheep — a goodly flock of 187,600 head.* 
If mutton form the larger portion of the consignments, as appears 
probable (say as 5 to 3), the number of sheep conveyed by rail to 
the metropolis as dead meat now would be 234,500 more than were 
similarly carried ten years ago. The falling off in the number 
shown at Smithfield during the same period was 116.642, leaving 
a balance of increase of 117,858. This increase in the number 
of live and dead sheep brought to market in the metropolis is not, 
however, derived from our own country : as it will be seen in 
Table (D. ) that the average importations of sheep in the 4 years 
ending 1862 had increased by 119,658 over the average impor- 
* No'accounts are kept of the relative proportions of beef and mutton forwarded 
by railway. 
