9 8 



BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



Measured by the standard of calories, potatoes are 

 the most valuable of the crops commonly grown and 

 grass-land by far the least. 



Food production and crop production over the 

 whole farm, and therefore over the whole country, 

 can be considerably increased by changing some of 

 the grass-land into potato- and corn-land. The prob- 

 lems involved are largely those of administration and 

 organization, and, in spite of difficulties, they are 

 being solved. At a time when production all over 

 the world is going down, we have not only avoided 

 a falling off, but have actually increased our produc- 

 tion in spite of bad seasons, labour difficulties, and 

 the spread of weeds. The results for England and 

 Wales have been as follows : 



AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IN ENGLAND 



AND WALES 



(In millions- qrs. and tons.) 



Nor is this all. During the spring of 1917 no less 

 than 278,000 acres of grass-land have been broken up 

 and converted into arable land, and the ploughing 

 programme is being greatly extended during the 

 present year, so that we may reasonably hope for 



