52 



Mr. Edward J. Russel 



[Feb. 20, 



The rainfall map shows that the eastern half of England is on 

 the whole drier than the western half. In agricultural experience 

 wheat flourishes best in dry conditions and grass in wet conditions ; 

 the vegetation maps show that wheat tends to be grown in the 

 rn and grass in the western part. The strict relationship is 

 that seed production is appropriate to the drier, and leaf production 

 to the wetter districts. 



The great soil belts of England south of the Trent run in a 

 south-westerly direction ; north of the Trent, however, they run 

 north and south. A heavy soil, like a wet climate, favours grass 

 production ; a light soil, like a dry climate, is suitable for arable 

 crops. The great influence of climate is modified, but is not over- 

 ridden, by the soil factor. 



The arable farmer grows three kinds of crops : corn, clover or 

 seeds hay, and fodder crops for his animals, or potatoes for human 

 beings. The same general principles underlie all, and as corn crops 

 are of the most general interest (though not necessarily of the 

 greatest importance), they will serve to illustrate all the points it is 

 necessary to bring out. We have seen that wheat is cultivated more 

 in the eastern than in the western portion of the country. The 

 figures for consumption and production are as follows : — 



Millions op Tons pee Annum. 



During the War very serious attention was paid to the problem of 

 reducing the gap between consumption and production. A work- 

 ing solution was found by lowering the milling standard, retaining 

 more of the offal, and introducing other cereals and potatoes ; a very 

 considerable proportion of the resulting bread was thus produced at 

 home. But the War bread did not commend itself, and disappeared 

 soon after the Armistice ; since then the consumption of wheat has 

 gone up, and the divergence between consumption and production has 

 again become marked. There is no hope of reducing consumption ; 

 we must therefore increase production. There are two ways in which 

 additional production may be obtained — by increasing the yield per 

 acre, and by increasing the number of acres devoted to the crop. 



