6 THE LANDED INTEREST. 



our bread in smaller proportion from our own 

 fields than those of the stranger. In regard to 

 meat, and other animal products, ten years ago 

 the proportion of foreign was one-seventh of the 

 whole. It has now risen to nearly one-half. 

 England This country thus ' derives from foreign 



now chiefly 



dependent lands, not only more than one - half of its 



on foreign 



supply for bread and nearly one-half in value of its 



further 



increase. mQ at, dairy produce, and wool, but must 

 also depend on the foreigner for almost the 

 entire addition that may be further required by 

 an increase of its population. In the last ten 

 years there has been no increase in the acreage 

 or production of corn, and little in that of meat. 

 The extent of green crops and grass has slightly 

 increased, from the double impulse of the rise 

 in wages and the increasing demand for dairy 

 produce and meat. But, excluding good lands 

 capable of being rendered fertile by drainage, 

 we appear to have approached a point in agri- 

 cultural production beyond which capital can be 

 otherwise more profitably expended in this 

 country than in further attempting to force our 

 poorer class of soils. It is cheaper for us as a 



