1020] on British Crop Production 



The yield per acre is shown in the following table ;- 

 Measured Bushels per Acre.* 



53 



The average results include bad farmers and bad seasons ; the 

 good farmer expects to do considerably better, but he has many things 

 in his favour — superior knowledge, greater command of capital and 

 possession of good land ; he will therefore always stand above the 

 average. Even his results can be improved ; the highest recorded 

 yields show what can be done with present varieties and present 

 methods under exceptionally favourable circumstances. The figures 

 give the measure of the scientific problem, which is to discover what 

 changes would be necessary in order to bridge the enormous gap 

 between the average and the best. In three directions progress is 

 possible : we may modify the plant and the soil, or we may mitigate 

 the effects of unfavourable climate. 



Before the soil can be brought into cultivation at all it is neces- 

 sary to carry out certain major operations, such as draining, 

 enclosing, which have to be maintained in full order. These lie 

 outside our present discussion ; we must assume that they are properly 

 carried out, which is by no means always the case. Given adequate 

 drainage, soil conditions are profoundly modified by cultivation, which 

 has developed into a fine art in England and Scotland, and is indeed 

 far better practised here than in most other countries. But it is an 

 art and not yet a science ; the husbandman achieves the results, 



* Unfortunately the terms " bushel " and " quarter " (8 bushels), lack 

 definiteness, being used officially in three different senses, and unofficially in 

 several others also. The following are some of the definitions of a bushel : — 



Official Statistics. ~ Returns Act 

 A definite Corn Sg™ Act ' 

 volume having the ~ f , 



following average c 

 weight 



lowing weight 



Grain Prices 

 Order. 

 Volume 

 occupied by fol- 

 lowing weight 



Frequent Prac- 

 tice. 

 Volume 

 occupied by fol- 

 lowing weight 



lb! 



63 

 56 

 42 



