102 
IMPORTS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE 1 
~The following Tables, which have been compiled from the 
Trade and Navigation Returns, show the quantities and 
values of the principal articles of agricuitural produce 
imported into the United Kingdom during the past year 
compared with the similar imports for 1899. 
In connection with the imports of live animals and deadmeat 
which are shown in the first Table, it will be seen that there 
was a considerable reduction in the number of sheep received 
and some falling off in the entries of cattle, the decline in- 
both cases being almost entirely attributable to the suspension 
of the shipments from Argentina, whence the consignment 
of cattle numbered 38,562 head, and of sheep 178,969 head, 
as compared with 85,365 and 382,080 respectively in the 
previous year. Cargoes of cattle from other Transatlantic 
ports were, however, on a slightly larger scale, the 
United States having contributed 350,209, and Canada 
104,328 head, these numbers representing increases of nearly 
29,000 and 10,000 over the supplies credited to the same 
sources in 1899. From the former country the supplies cf 
live sheep, which amounted to 142,905 nead, were also about 
22,000 in excess of those of the preceding twelve months ; 
but the shipments from the Dominion fell from 64,000 to. 
36,000 head. 
There was an important rise in the declared value of 
imported cattle, the average per head being £18 4s. as compared. 
with £17 in 1899 and £16 103.1n 1808; sheep, however, did 
not exhibit much change in value. 
In the case of fresh meat, attention may be directed to 
the increase of 325,000 cwts. in the entries of beef, of which 
the importation has been advancing at a rapid rate in recent 
