ll'S 



ROYAL COMMISSION ON AQRICULTtTKK. 



, 1919.] 



MR. FALCONER L. WALLACE. 



[Continued. 



_ing like farmer, goe to the Agricultural 

 Co'lK-ge and works there, ne ought to do that much 

 more in Kogland. It U the greatest possible want. 



In MHMotim uiih that, do you advocate 

 farm- rt here tin- principles taught in tie classes can 

 be shown in operation!'! was thinking of Profenor 

 Cili lirist. if I may mention his name, and the largo 

 amount of good he does simply by going round and 

 \ Citing farmers themselves. 



'.NU1 Cockle Farm brings a lot of farmers HUT.. 

 and tlic\ MV the result*; and tho students go th. r. 



it is very valuable. In Scotland they take the 

 student* about ami visit all the farms round about 

 for educational purposes. That is very desirable. 



!Ktr_'. You would advocate competitions for the men 

 in th.-iu liiui:. ditching. In-due rutting, and so on? 

 I would advocate anything that would encourage 

 the men. 



9043. ^fr. Edwards: Looking at your column of 

 profits all along the line in 1914, I find it varies 

 between la lOd. per acre to 2 3s. per acre ; and the 

 same variation occurs in the year 1918. What occurs 

 to me is the difficulty of meeting these variations in 

 any guaranteed prices? Perfectly true. That is a 

 point that has struck me myself. These variations ar" 

 absolutely bewildering. 



9044. Could you suggest any reason in the method 

 of farming or in anything else, that would account 

 for this great variation in 1914 when th : ngs were 

 normal? You will find a description of the farm and 

 of the system of farming carried on in the farm in 

 that bundle of papers which the Chairman has. from 

 which you will be able to draw conclusions as well 

 as I can. Beyond that, I have ventured to suggest 

 in a remark here the only reason which I can ascribe 

 to it. It is in my general observations: " The great 

 variations in the financial results upon farms which 

 are all approximately equally well farmed "as these 

 are " in their respective styles. ::re probably 

 accounted for by the great difference there is in the 



cost of cultivating various claases of soil, by the 

 I oi tu no of the markets and the Beacon in a given year 

 in relation to the style of farming, and by the business 

 abilities of different farmers." That is the only 

 reason I ascribe to it. It is one of the most puzzling 

 things, and 1 cannot get at the bottom of it. 



9045. The great majority of your farms here are 

 comparatively big ones? N 



9046. Do you think that these farms are tyi 



of the farm- of Kngland and Wale-:- They arc very 

 .il of those counties where I took them; because 

 I was very careful to select farm- which are strictly 

 representative of the diMiict. Imth as to size ami 

 method. 



9047. But do vou recognise the fact that 1 per 

 cent, of the farmers of Kncjaml and Wah handle 

 under 101 acres? I do not know what the statistics 

 are, except in these counties I visited. I think that 

 meets the point of the gentleman who wants to break 

 the 400 acres into 4 farms of 100 acres a-piece. There 

 are a great many 100-acre farms already. 



9048. My point is th-it the six..- of your farm after 

 all is not typical. It certainly is not typical of my 

 country, Wales, where they arc still smaller, but it 

 is hardly typic-il of England?--! would not like to 

 rely upmi 'the si/.e of my farms to net a general 

 average size of the country. The Board of Agricul- 

 ture has published statistics in regard to the sises. 



9049. Yes, I have those here!' I think they are \ery 

 typical farms, both as to size and the style of the 

 farm of the visited district. My trouble was, I visited 

 an immense number of farmers who were not able to 

 supply me with any figures, and therefore my choice 

 was limited. 



9050. You did not go over the border to Wales, did 



you? No, I was withdrawn. The investigation came 



to an end when I got as far as the North Riding of 

 Yorkshire. 



Chairman: Wo are very much obliged to you. 



(The Witnesi withdrew.) 



