The Middleman in Agriculture. 
73 
of produce, formed an almost ideal method of dealing with the 
“ middleman ” question. Whether such an ideal is realisable is 
another matter. 
That the present methods of distributing English farm 
produce are to a large extent careless, clumsy, and costly is self- 
evident. The case of the meat trade in London may be cited in 
proof. The four million inhabitants of the Metropolis are 
supplied with meat through three main channels — viz. the 
Islington Cattle Market, the Deptford foreign animals wharf, 
and the Central Meat Market. The supply in 1891 was as 
follows : — 
Islington Cattle Market. 
No. 
. 107,188 
. 727,370 
6,170 
840,734 
. 14,222 
. 48,960 
• 63,182 
903,916 
Cwt. 
2 , 345,960 
1 , 333,320 
501,140 
1 , 162,560 
813,720 
6 , 156,700 
We may put aside the Deptford supply, as this would lead 
to considerations outside the scope of this article. All the beef 
and mutton grown on English farms and sent to London pass 
through Islington or the Central Meat Market. The figures 
quoted above show the enormous extent of the carcass trade, 
and the comparatively small proportion of the town-killed meat. 
The question arises why animals are sent to London for slaughter 
at all. Four-fifths of the butchers in the Metropolis are said 
to buy dead meat only ; why should not the other fifth do the 
same ? There is no doubt an enormous w r aste annually entailed 
by the conveyance of live cattle to market. A finished beast is 
the worst possible traveller, and is bound to deteriorate every 
Central Meat Market. 
Country-killed meat 12 
Town-killed meat 1 2 ..... 
General foreign-killed meat 2 
American-killed fresh meat .... 
Australian- and New Zealand-killed fresh meat 
Home supply : Cattle 
Sheep 
Pigs 
Foreign : Cattle 
Sheep 
1 This includes meat, poultry, and provisions. 
2 The weight of American cattle slaughtered at Deptford is included in 
town-killed, and the weight of those slaughtered at Liverpool in country-killed. 
