25 Ai'Kii., 11)17.] Increasing Primart/ Production. 



239 



(lec'liiu'd in voliiiiie. ITiu] if not licen for the extraordinary expansion of 

 asrieullnrc in Germany during tlic past 25 years, which was a natnral 

 result of (lerniany's <'coiioiiiii' ])olif'y, and her system of agricultural 

 education, her food su|iplios would have been exhausted long heforc the 

 end of the second year of war, and she would have been compelled to sue 

 for peace. 



niUTisit r. German Aoukti.ture. 

 Li^t us briefly contrast the progress of agriculture in Germany and 

 Great Britain during the past 25 years. The following table sliows the 

 production of cereals and potatoes in Great Britain in 1888 and 1913, in 

 millions of bushels: — 



188S. 

 Million 

 -UushoU. 

 70 



Wlicat 



li)13. 

 Million 

 I'lKhcU. 



58 



T'ontrast this witl 



1,755 



3,497 



Wliilc British production in these foodstuffs has remained practically 

 stationary, German production has practically doubled. 



This extra production has been secured, not by winning new lands to 

 agriculture, but bj' increasing the efficiency of farming operations and 

 increasing the yield per acre. 



Twenty-five years ago the British farmer was unexcelled in his craft, 

 and the average yield per acre of his crops was at least 50 jier cent, 

 higher than the German farmer. For the five years' period prior to 

 the war, the German farmer secured higher average yields per acre in 

 each of the cereals — wheat, barley, oats, and rye. 



It may be said that the British farmer has concentrated his attention 

 on live stock during the past quarter of a century, and that in the realm 

 of animal husbandry at least Britain has kept pace with Germany. Let 

 us examine the figures of live stock production in both countries in 1888 

 and 191.3. These are presented in the table: — * 



• Abstracted from statistics of the Year Hook of Agriculture, U.S.A. 



