25 Ai'Kii., 1917. J German Challenge to British Agriculture. 



199 



This is a most striking method of comparing the results achieved by 

 the Uritisli and German farmers. The success of the German farmer 

 seems so astonishing and incredible that one naturally asks for further 

 details. These will be gradually unfolded, and it would be well to 

 ponder over them deeply so that the lessons they convey may sink in. 



Crop Production. 



First let us compare the agricultural production of Germany and 

 Great Britain in 1S8S and 1913, and find what changes have taken place 

 during the twenty-five years. 



Consider first the crop products. 'i':il)le I. shows the production of 

 cereals and potatoes in Great Britain and Germany in 18SS and 1913. 



Table 1. 



Sliowing production of cereals and ])otatoes in Great Britain and 

 Germany in 1888" and 1913.* 



Wheat. 



Oats. 



Harli-y. 



Eye. 



Potatoes. 



Millions of Bu.shcls. 



• Abstracted from the Year Jiook of the United States Department of .\priculture 1915. 



This table shows conclusively that while the volume of production 

 in Great Britain has remained stationary, that of Germany has nearly 

 doubled. The total increase in the four cereal crops — wheat, oats, 

 barley, rye — in twenty-five years in Germany is more than double the 

 whole of Britain's production of these cereals, whilst the increase in the 

 potato yield of Germany in twenty-five years is four times the whole 

 potato production of Great Britain. 



Live Stock Production. 



But it may be objected that the British farmer has confined his 

 attention to stock raising rather than the growing of cereal and root 

 crops, and that in this sphere at least Great Britain has kept pace with 

 Germany. 



Let us therefore examine the figures showing the numbers of live 

 stock kept in Great Britain and Germany during the period under 

 review. These are set out in Table II. 



