CHAPTER VIII 

 HOLLAND 



IN the early eighties the agricultural interests 

 in Holland found themselves drifting into a 

 most serious condition of economic depression. 

 With the steady fall of prices in wheat, more 

 and more land was going out of cultivation ; in 

 the dairy industry the competition of Denmark 

 was beginning to be severely felt ; in the sale of 

 market-garden produce the returns were steadily 

 declining; and in other directions besides the farm- 

 ing classes found themselves faced by a decidedly 

 dismal prospect. It was evident that fresh and 

 vigorous efforts would have to be made if Dutch 

 agriculture hoped to hold its own, and the 

 question arose as to what would be the best 

 direction in which such efforts should be put 

 forth. 



To solve this problem a Royal Commission 

 was appointed in 188C>. and the report it pre- 

 sented three years later showed that there was 



need for the adoption alike of State aid and of 



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