This shows that for years Ireland's food supply to Great Britain was only exceeded by that of the United States of America, whose people, now fighting with us, probably will want more in future for themselves.
As regards the quantities of foodstuffs exported to Great Britain from Ireland, the following table speaks:
| P.C. | |||
| Average, | Average, | Inc. | |
| 1912-13. | 1916-17. | or Dec. | |
| Live cattle, number | 832,000 | 889,000 | +6.9 |
| Live sheep, number | 639,000 | 700,000 | +9.5 |
| Live pigs, number | 233,000 | 239,000 | +2.6 |
| Butter, tons | 37,000 | 36,000 | -4.0 |
| Eggs, tons | 56,000 | 69,000 | +23.2 |
| Poultry, tons | 15,000 | 14,500 | -3.3 |
| Bacon and hams, tons | 61,000 | 54,000 | -11.5 |
| Oats, tons | 67,000 | 85,000 | +26.9 |
| Potatoes, tons | 150,000 | 173,000 | +15.3 |
| Biscuits, tons | 17,000 | 21,000 | +23.5 |
| Yeast, tons | 7,000 | 11,000 | +57.1 |
| Cond. milk, tons | 13,000 | 12,000 | -7.7 |
The following shows the quantities of foodstuffs, as nearly as possible, imported from foreign countries and British possessions, and is the latest we could obtain:
| Average. | P.C. | ||
| 1912-13. | 1916. | Inc. | |
| Tons. | Tons. | or Dec. | |
| Beef, fresh | 423,000 | 353,000 | 16.5 |
| Mutton | 256,000 | 182,000 | -28.9 |
| Pork | 20,000 | 15,000 | -25.0 |
| Meat, preserved (mostly tinned beef) | 44,000 | 94,000 | +113.6 |
| Butter | 201,000 | 107,000 | -46.8 |
| Eggs | 180,000 | 51,000 | -71.7 |
| Bacon and hams | 252,000 | 407,000 | +61.5 |
| Potatoes | 373,000 | 85,000 | -77.2 |
| Condensed milk | 57,000 | 65,000 | +14.0 |
| Margarine | 68,000 | 130,000 | +91.2 |
| Wheat | 5,003,000 | 4,620,000 | -7.6 |
| Barley | 310,000 | 256,000 | -17.4 |
| Oats | 890,000 | 617,000 | -30.7 |
| Rice | 204,000 | 425,000 | +108.3 |
| Maize | 1,614,000 | 1,198,000 | -25.8 |
It must be remembered that Ireland has now no foreign imports, and has to feed herself as well as help Great Britain. She consumes only one-fourth of her own cattle, and with only 10 per cent. of the population supplies 40 per cent. of the cattle and 30 per cent. of the pigs of the United Kingdom, despite shortage of imported cattle cakes, &c., formerly obtainable. Ireland also, by her position with regard to Great Britain, minimizes loss by U-boats, and by her proximity also makes more trips possible, and consequently more cargoes landed in a short time than is possible by any foreign nation or British possession.
As regards increased tillage, under the 1918 orders it is required that in holdings of over ten acres the area under cultivation this year must be 15 per cent. of the total arable land of the holding, in addition to that under cultivation in 1916, and in the case of holdings of over 200 acres 20 per cent. of the arable area. The result is that at the present time there are well over 1,000,000 more acres under cultivation than in 1916, a large proportion of such cultivation being voluntary. In County Limerick alone the area under corn crops shows an increase of 148 per cent., and that of all green crops, potatoes, mangolds, and turnips, of 33 per cent.