GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



AGRICULTURE AND THE WAR. 



SOURCE : 



The Journal of the Board of Agriculture, Vol. XXIII. Number 8, I^ondon, No- 

 vember 1916. 



At Taunton on the 28th of last October the members of the Somerset 

 War Agricultural Committee and others were addressed by Lord Crawford, 

 then President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



Lord Crawford first alluded to the difficulties at present attendant on 

 agriculture, those connected with labour and tillage, with the late harvest 

 which meant a late autumn, and above all with the feeling of uncertainty 

 which hung over agriculture. 



It was the object, not only of farmers but also of the whole country in 

 relation to agriculture, to obtain more food. Ten 3'ears ago agriculture 

 had been looked upon by the country at large as an industry ; now it 

 was recognized to a be source and foundation of national strength. Ten 

 years ago agriculture had been merely a commercial occupation, and 

 not always a very brilliant one ; now it was one of the weapons bj' which 

 Britain meant to win the great war. To realize the want for more food was 

 almost a discovery to the British public. Hitherto food had reached the 

 country somehow and from somewhere — it had not been the business of 

 the consumer to enquire how, when or whence it came. Too often he had 

 closed his eyes to those who pointed out the danger of allowing agriculture 

 to be neglected and to decay. Now he was beginning to find not only that 

 more food was needed, but also that the source and origin of that food was 

 one of its essential values when it was required by the consumer. 



Every quarter of corn that was imported weakened the countr}^ and every 

 quarter grown at home conferred strength on the country. If corn were 

 bought abroad it was paid for abroad. During the war the one transaction 

 of all others which it was desirable to avoid was that of sending money abroad 

 to ])urchase articles which could be produced at home. Such a course 

 weakened the British exchange, diminished British financial resources ; 



