Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-31
= FEEDING ENGLAND.
The American Hog a Fa.
vOrite on the Island.
PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE.
The United States Has Beaten Eu.
rOpean Nations in the Export
Trade in the East.

Trade IN the East.
The new number of the Journal OF
the Royal agricultural Society con-
tains an article on "Twenty Years
Changes in Our Foreign Meat sup
Plies" which is full of suggestion for
our British agriculturists. During the
past twenty years the population OF
the United Kingdom has increased
about six millions. In other words,
we have added to our numbers pop
ulation larger considerably than the
whole population of Ireland, or about
one and half times the population
of Scotland. Further, the wealth OF
the United Kingdom has greatly
increased, and with the increase
of wealth there has been decided
advance in the standard OF living Of
the people. Major Craigie the author
of the article, estimates that the con-
sumption of meat per head OF the
population has increase nearly 10 per
cent. There has been an increase in
our numbers of about one-tifth, and
very considerable increase at the
same time in the consuming power OF
the increased population; and yet it
is a striking fact that the home pro-
duction OF meat has remained almost
stationary. Major Craigie's estimate
is that in 1867 the production was
about 26,000,000 cwts., and now it
is only 6,660,U00 cwts. There is thus
an increase of barely 100000 cwts.,
or slightly more than IL per cent.
For every five persons living in the
United Kingdom twenty years ago,
there are now six, and the six are
better off now than the five were then,
and consume more meat upon the aver
age. The sixth has obtained from
abroad, it will appear from the figures
now given, the whole of the meat
consumed by him, and the other five
have practically also obtained from
abroad the consumption in excess of
what it was twenty years ago. This
will be shown all the more clearly if
we compare the imports with the pop
ulation. Had the whole OF the i'm
ports OF meat, and living ami
imals reduced to meat, been
divided equally among the popula-
ton twenty years ago they would have
given each individual So pounds in
one year; if the same distribution
were to be made now. each individual
would have nearly 2S4 pounds in the
year. In spite, therefore, of vast
increase in the population, the rate
per head OF the population OF imported
meat has been multiplied not far
short of three and half times. If
we inquire little further. we find
that the greater part of the increase
has been in what the Americans call
"hog product" is, the meat of
the pig in its various forms-bacon,
pork, ham, etc. Last year the total
imports Of pig-meat were sos per cent
of the total imports of meat OF
every kind; more than half, that
is, of the imports of the flesh
of the pig. Practically we derive
from abroad as much pig-meat as we
raise at home at present; and, as
might naturally be supposed. it is
from the United States that we de-
rive most Of our hog products. The
vast crop of maize which the Ameri-
cans raise enables them to feed pigs
so cheaply that they are practically
beating our farmers in their own
market, and they have been aided by
the reduction of the cost of carriage,
to which we referred more particu-
larly last week. Twenty years ago
the average annual imports of pig
meat were only 49, 300 tons; now they
average 224 200 tons. They have
been multiplied, that is, between five
and six times. The imports of beef
have risen from 81, 400 tons to 152, 900
tons-a very large increase likewise,
bat compared with the increase in
pig meat, quite small; and the i'm
ports of mutton have risen from
is, 100 tons to So, 900 tons. The NUT
ton imports, it will be noticed, are
yery small compared with the beef,
and much more SO when compared
with the products OF the pig. This is
remarkable, when we call to mind the
great decrease in our tlocks of recent
Years, and is acco,,nted for by the fact
that the American stock of sheep is
small. Our imports, therefore, have
to be drawn either from the continent
or from the colonies of South America
The continent, however, appears In
capable of increasing its exports; !;
while Australia and South America
have to conine themselves very
largely to frozen mutton. In
the case OF beef, however, as in the
case OF bacon, pork and hams, the
great increase is in the imports from
Che United States. American herds
have increased enormously; the breed
of the cattle have been very markedly
improved, and their yield in meat is
larger than the continental yield.
Whereas twenty years ago our foreign
supply was all from the continent,
now the larger part Of our supply IS
from the United States. The final
result is that the great increase in our
-. >st imports has been in bacon, pork
nrd ,'.sms and in beef, and the in
croas - co h Us been mainly in the imports
from the /, uited States. Just as the
United States supply us with the
oraoter - nart of .>ur wheat, SO they
supply us also with tins at greater part
, Of our foreign imports 'f meat:
Perhaps the most int. .'es'its paiS :,
eof Major Craigie's paper is Ina' ~ ~
which he examines the chan. "
America being able to continue to ."'
definitely supply us with meat.
Roughly it may be said that his con-
clusions as to the continent are that
we cannot look for very large supplies.
All the European nations have been
growing in wealth; with the growth
of wealth the standard of living has
been rising, and consequently there
is a larger consumption of meat than