1,380,000 in the five pre-war years to 1,225,000 in the last five 
years. This reduction is in part due to the fact that during 
these post-war years farmers have been steadily increasing their 
dairy herds at the expense of beef production. It is also partly 
due to increased slaughter of animals before they attain the age 
of one year. The number of calves slaughtered annually has 
increased from 536,000 to 785,000 between the pre-war and the 
post-war quinquennial periods, largely owing to the increased 
dairy herds and consequently increased births, but also to a 
larger proportion being slaughtered as calves, instead of being 
kept until they become beef cattle. In spite of a decline of about 
11 Ibs. per head in the average carcase weight of calves between 
the pre-war and post-war periods the production of veal in 
England and Wales is estimated to have increased by about 
140,000 cwt. per annum, or about 30 per cent. 
As regards mutton and lamb, the average annual production 
Aas fallen by 1,470,000 cwt., or about 38 per cent., as compared 
with pre-war, of which about 7 per cent. is due to a reduction 
in the average weight of the carcase, while the remainder of the 
decline is caused largely by the reduction in sheep flocks, resulting 
in fewer births and a smaller potential meat supply. At the 
sameé time it should be noted that during the past five years the 
number of sheep in England and Wales has increased by 
2,590,000, - nearly one-half of the increase being in ewes for 
breeding. This process of rebuilding the flocks must result in 
increased production of mutton in subsequent years. 
The production of pigmeat varies considerably, but on the 
average there is little difference between the pre-war and post- 
war periods. But here, again, the pig population increased by 
650,000, or over 32% per cent., between 1920 and 1925. In the 
year 1924-25 the production of pigmeat was abnormally high 
owing to the fact that the number of pigs in June, 1924, reached 
the very high figure of nearly 3% million, while there was a 
reduction of 580.000 by the following June, 
If the estimated weight of the meat of various kinds is added 
together then the average production in the five years 1908-09 
to 1912-13 was 17,593,000 cwt., while the average production 
n the five years 1920-21 to 1924-25 was 14,912,000 cwt.—a, fall 
of 15 per cent, During this period the population of the country 
was increasing so that the supply per head of English meat of 
one kind or another fell from 55 Ibs. per head in the earlier period 
to 44 lbs. per head in the past five years—a reduction of 20 per 
cent. This ig q very striking decline, particularly when the 
potentialities of the home market are taken into account. More 
favourable results would, it is true, be obtained by taking the 
single year 1924-25, but, as explained above, this was an ex- 
ceptional year as regards the production of pigmeat. There has,