32 AN AGRICULTURAL FAGGOT. 



elusions, which are revealed by the dry light of statistics, 

 coincide, I believe, with the facts as agreed to by what 

 is termed general knowledge. I confess, therefore, that 

 I do not see how it is possible with any show of reason 

 to refer back to 1846 for the cause of depression which 

 did not show itself for thirty years afterwards. It might, 

 of course, be argued that the depression would have been 

 prevented or mitigated if Protection had been continued ; 

 but, on the other hand, it might also be argued that if 

 Protection had continued the prosperity of the earlier 

 period would have been less. But neither argument 

 affects the historical facts. 



Whether or no it was possible or desirable to continue 

 measures limiting in any way the importation of foreign 

 food supplies, there is, at any rate, no question about 

 the enormous extent to which they have increased. The 

 figures given on p. 33 for 1854 and 1896 respectively 

 show the extent of the increase in the case of the 

 principal agricultural products. 



This table speaks for itself. Without professing to be 

 exhaustive, it shows for the chief articles competing 

 with British farm products an increase, measured by 

 value, of over £100,000,000. Of course, owing to the fall 

 in prices the measure by value does not represent the 

 full facts. Thus in the case of wheat the increase has 

 been five-fold in quantity but only double in value. 

 One exception to this rule — which is in some respects 

 ominous — is noticeable in the case of cattle and sheep, 

 the value of which per head is much higher now than in 

 1854, in consequence, of course, of the great improvement 

 in their quality. 



The keynote of farming during the last half-century, 

 apart from economic conditions, has, I think, been the 

 application of science to practice. It was not long before 

 1846 that the Royal Agricultural Society had been 

 started with its admirable motto of " Practice with 

 Science," and earlier still the Bath and West of England 



