in Diagram D, on p. 63, which is considerable in spite of the growth 
+f the chilled-beef trade. For beef of lower quality and for cow 
beef, i.e., for his plain beef, he has the Continental market where 
iean beef is in demand, though in times of good Continental 
demand, frozen beef which would normally have found its way 
to this country is sometimes sent to the Continent. On the 
other hand, when a glut occurs on the Continent—and during 
the past few years this has not been infrequent—*‘ continental” 
beef is diverted to this country, where, however, its indifferent 
quality makes it a difficult commodity to sell. 
South America looms so largely as a supplier of beef that its 
importance as a supplier of mutton and lamb tends to be 
overshadowed. As regards mutton, Diagram E shows that 
South America has often been the largest single supplier in recent 
years, whilst its lamb shipments have been always less than 
those of New Zealand, but sometimes greater and sometimes 
less than those from Australia. (See Diagram F, on page 65.) 
The sheep population of the principal supplying areas in 
South America is, at present, estimated as being : Argentine, 
12,000,000 (including Patagonia, 12,000,000); Uruguay. 
17,000,000. Not all these flocks, however, are available for 
mutton production as, in many districts remote from railways, 
production for wool is the only purpose for which sheep are kept. 
In such districts, lack of transport facilities and the consequent 
enormous distances over which flocks would have to be driven 
on the hoof to reach a freezing works, render cross-breeding for 
mutton unprofitable. On the other hand, great improvement by 
crossing with stock imported from Britain, New Zealand and 
Australia has been made in the sheep of those parts of Argentine 
Uruguay and Southern Chile which are near to freezing works 
or railways. The killing season for mutton and lamb in the 
Argentine is usually from October to June, and is heaviest between 
November and March; further south, in Southern Chile and 
Patagonia, the season is later and shorter, usually starting in 
February and lasting to June. The shipments are fairly well 
spread over the whole year (see Table II, on page 59). 
(iv) South Africa.—Up to the present, this Dominion has not 
been an important source of supply, nor is it likely to become such 
for some years. The surplus available for export during the last 
three years—which have been very dry—has not been generally 
ap to the quality required on British markets. The exports of 
beef and veal for these years have been: 1922, 300 tons; 1923. 
275 tons; 1924, 3,836 tons; the last figure shows that South 
Africa was able to take advantage of the recent improvement in 
the beef trade, the principal markets served being Italy and 
Belgium. This improvement in the export trade has enhanced 
the price of cattle in the Dominion; this should assist producers 
and encourage breeding for export. With a view to stimulating 
the export trade. the Union Government. in 1923. passed a