126 
Home Produce , Imports, Consumption , and 
from 3,532,015 to 3,841,959, or by 309,944. Yet, over thb 
same periods, there has been an average annual increase in the 
imports of cattle from 268,514 to 447,347, or by 178,833, but 
a decrease in that of sheep from 934,874, to 723,859 or by 
211,015, and a decrease in that of pigs from 53,155 to 18,338, 
or by 34,817. There has, on the other hand, been an average 
annual import of 7,281,330 cwt. of dead meat, fresh and salted, 
over the last fifteen years, against only 3,915,516 cwt. over the 
preceding five years, or nearly twice as much over the later years. 
Thus, although our own feeding area, and the imports of 
stock-foods, have greatly increased during recent years, with 
this our live stock has also increased, so also have the imports 
of live animals and of dead meat. It is obvious that the staple 
products of the feeder, like the crops of our arable land, have been 
insufficient to meet the requirements of a rapidly increasing 
population. 
In connection with this question of our home production on 
the one hand, and imports on the other, it will be of interest to 
consider our position in regard to some of the smaller articles 
of agricultural production. Those of most importance to the 
farmer are — poultry and eggs, and the dairy products, milk, 
butter, and cheese. In our paper on Allotments and Small Hold- 
ings, in a recent number of the Journal (Yol. III., 3rd Series, 
Part III., p. 439), we called attention to the fact that, in 1890, the 
values of our imports were — of butter 10,598,848?., of cheese 
4,975,134?., of eggs, 3,428,806?., and of poultry and game, 
497,857?. ; or in all for these articles 19,500,645?. In 1892, 
however, the values of the imports were — of butter, 11,965,284?., 
of cheese 5,417,777?., of eggs 3,793,018?., and of poultry and 
game 583,430?. ; or in all 21,759,509?. Thus the increase in 
the value of the imports of these articles in 1892 compared with 
1890 was — for butter 1,366,436?., for cheese 442,543?., for 
eggs 364,216?., and for poultry and game 85,572?.; or in all 
2,258,767?. 
In reference to these amounts it may be stated that the value 
of the poultry and game imported was nearly three times as much 
over the last five years as over the first five of the last twenty 
years to 1892 inclusive, and that the number of eggs imported 
was nearly double over the last compared with the first five years 
of the twenty. More attention might perhaps with advantage 
be paid to the home production of poultry and eggs ; but, with 
our climate, any really material increase in such production could 
only be attained by outlay for protection from the weather, and 
perhaps for artificial heat, during the colder months of the year ; 
whilst the expenditure for food would be the greater the less the 
