25 April, 1917.] German Challenge to British Agriculture. 209 



The Gennaii farmer has been able to feed 70 to 75 .persons for each 

 100 acre-s of cultivated land, whilst the 15rit'sh farmer has only been 

 able to feed 45 to 50 persons ou the same area. 



We have shown the increases in German agricultural production 

 in terms of man-carrying caipacity. Let us finally consider the cash 

 value of the increased production. 



Whilst British crop production has actually declined during the 

 past 25 years, that of Germany has ineroascd by £120,000,000 sterling. 



Again, in 1914, the live stock of Germany was valued at 

 £660,000,000, an increase of £340,000,000 since the 1892 census. 

 The value of the live stock of Great Britain, calculated on the same 

 price basis, was, in 1914, £350,000,000. That is to say, the increase 

 in live stock in Germany for 22 years was equal to the value of the 

 whole of the live stock of Great Britain,. 



Von Schwerin Lowitz,* estimates that the ainiuul value of Ger- 

 many's agricultural produce approximates £700,000,000, made up 

 principally of corn £140,000,000, meat £200,000,000, milk 

 £137,500,000, potatoes and sugar beet £80,000,000, the balance being 

 made up of fruit, vegetables, oil, and fibre crops, viticulture, and 

 poultry .products. 



According to Steinmanii-Bucher, '" the gross value of goods mauti- 

 factured in Germany in 1905 was £1,800,000,000. The net value of 

 these manufactured goods, i.e., the value of the finished goods, without 

 counting articles two or three times over in various stages of manu 

 facture, would not exceed £700,000,000." Considered therefore from 

 the point of view of the value of the produce, German agriculture has 

 been able to maintain a position of equal inqiortance with that of 

 the tremendously increased manufacturing industries. 



IL— FACTORS UNDERLYING GERMANY'S AGRICULTURAL 

 RENAISSANCE. 



Apart from her economic policy, which has been systematically 

 directed to produce sufficient foodstuffs within her own territory to feed 

 her rapidly increasing population, Germany's progress may be attri- 

 buted to — 



(1) The systematic organization of agricultural education. 



(2) The improvement effected in the technical methods of the 



farming community. 



(3) The widespread adoption of co-operation and organized 



credit. 



In a calm and passionless review of Germany's Food supply: Can 

 it Last, Professor Eltzbacher's Committee of Scientists concluded as 

 follows ; — 



" We shall hold out. That we can do so is thanks to our agri- 

 culture. In the last ten years, under the powerful protection of 

 Governments whose clear foresight recognised the danger of Germany 

 developing into a one-sided industrial country, and through the 

 vigorous action of distinguished men, agriculture has made a tremen- 

 dous advance, both to its own profit and with the gratifying result 

 that we are able in case of need to feed 68,000,000 people on a terri- 

 tory of little more than 125,000,000 acres of land without contribu- 

 tions from abroad."! 



• Deulschland nnter Kaisef WUhelm II. — t Oernany's Food Su/pply — Con it Last ! — page 232. 



