72 A NEW AGRICULTURAL POLICY 



feared that the figure of 45s. was put into 

 the Corn Production Act not without some 

 sound prophetic reckoning. 



The farmers pursued a policy of which they 

 have often accused trade unionists. They 

 pursued a policy of "ca'canny." They took 

 concerted action, and their Union carried out 

 a very successful campaign. They were de- 

 termined to get their price, to get a free, un- 

 controlled market for all farm produce. They 

 were the County Agricultural Executive Com- 

 mittees. Except in a few very flagrant cases, 

 they no longer feared the frown of D.O.R.A. 

 She had been packed off to Ireland to find out 

 if peasants were cultivating the political policies 

 pleasing to the Government, and farmers hence- 

 forth decided to be very kind to one another. 

 Eventually, but too late, the Government offered 

 to raise the maximum price for wheat from 75s. 

 to 95s. per qr. It should have made this 

 known in October 19 18, instead of late in the 

 summer of 19 19. It was a blunder which lost 

 the nation many a quarter of wheat, although 

 Mr. Lloyd George had told the farmers that 

 they had been the most patriotic class. 



There were physical reasons, too, why some 

 of the land which had been ploughed for wheat 

 had returned to grass. Many acres of grass 

 land were torn up which should have been left 

 in grass, and the herbage improved by the 

 application of basic slag and other fertilisers. 



