156 
Agricultural  Competition. 
when  our  ports  were  closed  to  her  cattle  and  sheep,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  progress  would  be  continued  if  the  present 
embargo  were  removed.  Canada  now  sends  us  only  about  as 
many  cattle  as  she  shipped  to  us  ten  years  ago,  and  fewer  than 
she  contributed  five  years  back,  while  the  receipts  from  the 
United  States  have  fallen  oflt  nearly  one-half  since  1905. 
Much  interest  attaches  to  the  causes  of  the  dwindling  of 
cattle  shipments  from  the  United  States.  The  chief  cause  is 
the  steady  absorbtion  of  the  cattle  ranges  of  the  West  by 
settlers.  It  may  prove  in  course  of  time  that  a multitude  of 
small  breeders  and  feeders  will  make  good  the  loss  of  the 
ranges  as  feeding  grounds  ; but  hitherto  there  has  not  been 
any  approach  to  such  a compensation,  and  the  best  authorities 
in  the  country  are  of  opinion  that  it  will  not  be  realised  for 
a great  number  of  years.  In  the  meantime  the  population 
of  beef  consumers  is  increasing  rapidly,  while  beef  cattle 
are  decreasing.  There  were  4,287,000  fewer  of  these  animals 
at  the  beginning  of  1910  than  in  1907. 
A secondary  cause  of  the  reduction  of  exports  has  been  the 
high  price  of  beef  in  the  United  States.  Again,  the  high  price 
of  maize  has  led  to  the  slaughter  of  a great  number  of  calves 
and  half-fat  beasts,  while  the  growing  importance  of  the  dairy 
industry  makes  a great  call  upon  heifers. 
Our  imports  of  sheep  have  become  quite  insignificant.  In 
1882  we  imported  1,124,391,  but  there  has  not  been  any 
approach  to  such  a number  since  1895,  when  the  total  was 
over  a million.  By  1909  it  had  fallen  to  8,131.  Before 
our  ports  were  closed  to  sheep  from  Argentina,  that  country 
had  displaced  the  United  States  as  the  chief  contributor.  At 
present  the  latter  country  and  Canada  send  the  few  sheep  we 
are  receiving,  though  occasionally  we  get  a small  number  from 
Iceland  and  Greenland. 
Meat. 
In  referring  to  beef,  salt  meat  may  be  left  out  of  considera- 
tion, as  it  has  long  been  a dwindling  trade,  even  tinned  beef 
having  declined  since  the  Chicago  scandals  were  published, 
though  a partial  recovery  has  taken  place  since  1907. 
What  has  been  said  as  to  the  decrease  in  the  imports  of 
cattle  from  the  United  States  applies  also,  although  in  a less 
marked  degree,  to  receipts  of  beef  from  that  country.  Up 
to  1904  more  than  half  the  fresh  beef  we  imported  came  from 
the  United  States,  whereas  now  it  is  only  about  one-fourth, 
and  since  1904  Argentina  has  been  ahead  of  that  country, 
sending  us  more  than  twice  as  much  in  1908.  New  Zealand 
has  also  made  a great  advance.  If  the  Linley  process,  by 
which  a large  consignment  of  beef  in  a chilled,  as  distinguished 
