92 
and lamb are received from Chile, and Brazilian beef is shipped 
in quantity to the Continent; some years must elapse before 
these States are in a position to export meat in considerable 
quantities and of the quality required by the English trade. 
Moreover, only parts of these States are suitable for cattle 
raising. 
Qur principal sources of supply are, therefore, Australia, 
New Zealand, Argentine and Uruguay. A paragraph on South 
Africa is added, not because the Union is an important contri- 
butor to our supplies at present, but because, in position and 
area, it has potentialities for a chilled and frozen trade, and has 
recently been supplying Continental markets. 
(i) Australia. (a) Beef.—This great Dominion ranks second 
only to South America as a supplier of beef to Great Britain, 
though the figures for 1924 show that it is at present but a 
very poor second. Nevertheless, now that beef is again a 
promising article of commerce, and, although authorities differ 
as to the possibilities that Australia offers, there seems to be 
little reason why Australia’s output of beef should not be 
materially increased. 
Every State in the Commonwealth is engaged to a greater 
or lesser degree in the meat-export trade, but the chief centres are 
in the eastern States, namely, Queensland, New South Wales 
and Victoria. The first of these is primarily the beef State, 
while the two last concentrate on mutton and lamb, their beef 
shipments being small and depending largely on surpluses or 
special cuts from the local trade of Sydney and Melbourne. 
Fair quantities of boneless beef are shipped to Great Britain 
from both of these ports, Melbourne boneless bull-beef having a 
high reputation on Glasgow market, where this commodity 
commands a ready sale owing to its leanness. Considerable 
quantities of beef are produced in northern New South Wales 
for internal consumption and export, and it is interesting to 
note that from one of the meat-works in that region, chilled 
beef is shipped to the populous districts further south. Beef is 
also produced in Northern Territory and in Western and Southern 
Australia. 
Queensland is the beef-exporting State of the Commonwealth ; 
the industry has, however, to contend with great difficulties 
compared with South America, its rival in European markets. 
First, the climate is normally dry and, at times, droughty, so 
that there is frequently a shortage of grasses. This, again, shows 
itself in the longer period needed for fattening, four, or as many 
as five, years being necessary in places. If rain does not fall 
towards the end of the year, the cattle do not finish well and 
a poor season results. The cattle are raised on stations and 
farms, whence they are driven to the meat-works near the coast. 
Stations in the coastal area are in a better position for supplying 
good cattle to the meat-works than inland stations, as railways 
are not. as yet, highly developed and cattle from distant stations