34 
Agricultural Progress and 
the whole number shown, and by the more or less injured state, 
from disease or travel, in which they come to market, than by 
the general supplies of live-stock brought forward for consump- 
tion. In other words, the price of inferior meat is dependent 
not only on the quantity at market, but upon its degree of infe- 
riority ; whereas prime meat is subject to but little variation 
in quality, and its price is therefore the safest measure of the 
comparative plenty or scarcity of live-stock at different times. 
Average Price of prime Mutton and Beef by the carcase in the 
Metropolitan Markets.* 
Average of 
5 Years, ending 
1853. 
(Per Stone of 8 lbs.) 
Average of 
5 Years, ending 
1863. 
(Per Stone of 8 lbs.) 
Increase 
in 10 Years. 
Increase 
Per Cent. 
s. d. 
s. d. 
s. d. 
Beef .. .. 
4 2h 
5 0* 
0 10 
20 
Mutton.. .. 
4 5 
5 9 
1 4 
30 
This great advance in the price of meat offers a strong induce- 
ment to farmers to add to the numbers of their live-stock of all 
kinds ; but in the case of sheep, the long period during which 
their rate of increase has failed to keep up with the increase- of 
consumption, makes the augmentation of our sheep-stock one 
of the most important farming questions of the day. 
Having thus passed in review our supplies of corn and meat 
for some years past, especially marking the effect of Free Trade 
upon both, we unavoidably arrive at the following conclu- 
sions : — 
1st. That, except on those rare occasions when deficient har- 
vests may occur simultaneously over a large proportion of the 
corn-growing regions of the world, the supplies of grain sent to 
this country are likely to be so considerable as to keep prices at a 
lower level than would be remunerating if corn-growing were 
considered (as it too often has been) a department of farming 
which is complete in itself. 
2nd. That the enormous quantity of foreign corn imported of 
late years has maintained in strength and comfort a much larger 
labouring population than could otherwise have been supported 
in Great Britain, and has enabled our manufacturers and com- 
mercial men largely to extend both their home and foreign trade. 
* The figures on which these calculations are founded are taken from Herbert's 
paper, ' Journal,' vol. xxiv. p. 456. 
