CONSERVING TF1E LIVES OF THE CATTLE POPULATION. [To THE EDITOR
OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—Do the authorities of this country realize the serious diminution which is taking place in the bovine and ovine breeds ? If they do, why let the fruits of procrastination mature before applying the remedy ? If they do not, where are their expert advisers ? One has only to visit an agricultural district or study market reports to ascertain what enormous advances have taken place within a few short months in the prices of cattle and sheep ; and as those prices are primarily regulated by the general principle of supply and demand, it must follow the latter has stolen a march upon the former—and as things stand at present this state of affairs will tend to become worse as time goes on, for we find butchers are giving such temptingly high prices that farmers, loth to tray such exorbitant figures for artificial feeding-stuffs, dispose of their
animals before they become prime beef and mutton ; consequently. such food when it roaches the public does not go so far. Further, dairy cows are being sold by the thousand, because the farmer finds it to his advantage to sell a mulch cow at £30 to £40 rather than dispose of his milk at lid, per gallon wholesale ; while the shortage of labour general, and milkers in particular, in many instances compels him to do so. But perhaps more important still, these very cows which are being slaughtered largely form the backbone of the cattle-breeding industry. and if this valuable asset is unduly tampered with, the time will assuredly come when the industry will be in grave jeopardy of
extinction. Will the powers that be wait until this stage is reached It is always easier to follow a destructive line than a constructive one, but if a preservative policy is adopted now things will right themselves. I think the conservation of animal life should begin by limiting the demands mule upon beef and mutton. The upper and middle classes eat too much animal food at all times, and now that the warm weather Is with us it is surely the time to curtail the meat diet. Most of us have meat for breakfast in some form or other, meat for luncheon, and meat for dinner. What an improvement in our general health would follow if we had only meat once per diem, and what a saving to the country of beef and mutton would follow! Let the authorities form a Board of dietetic medical experts to advise the public) upon the most sustaining articles of diet, giving special prominence to those substances which by reason of their composition would act as the best substitutes for beef and mutton. Failing this, let us go back to the staple food of our Scottish ancestors—Le., oatmeal, although it was at one time looked upon with contempt by their English confreres, who characterized it as food only fit for horses. The true value of oatmeal as a food, how- ever, was summed up by the Scot's retort : "And where do you find finer men and better horses 1 "—I am, Sir, Am,
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