62 BRITISH DAIRYING. 



they ever did or could exist. The employment of purchased 

 manures and feeding stuffs has long been regarded as a necessity 

 by all progressive farmers. In this way have such farmers been 

 constantly adding to the fertility of their farms, and, in these 

 cases, restrictions as to cropping became a glaring absurdity 

 which could not be sustained. The time is probably coming 

 pretty soon when foreign feeding stuffs will not be available at 

 easy prices, and further modifications in cropping will then be 

 carried out. 



" Arable Dairy Farming." 



The system known as "arable dairy farming" has not in 

 this country attained the degree of popularity which it enjoys 

 on the Continent, and is not likely to do so. The reason is 

 chiefly a climatic one, perhaps; but at all events so it stands. 

 My greatly valued friend, the late H. M. Jenkins, whose far 

 too early death was a distinct misfortune to British agriculture, 

 had a high opinion of arable dairy farming as he had seen it 

 practised in France and Denmark, and he strongly urged it on 

 the notice of farmers in this country. In his Report to the 

 Royal Commission on Agriculture a report of distinguished 

 ability he says on page 70 : " I have frequently pointed out 

 that one of the principal lessons that in my judgment English 

 farmers have to learn from their Continental brethren is the 

 breeding and rearing of stock, and the making of butter 

 and cheese on arable land. ... In Denmark, as I have 

 already reported, permanent grass is almost an unknown ele- 

 ment on breeding and dairy farms." 



When Mr. Jenkins presented his report, we had not then 

 been suffering from low prices of farm produce long enough 

 to feel convinced that expenses must be carefully and even 

 rigidly cut down to enable farmers to " make ends meet 

 and tie." The cost of cultivating arable land, particularly 

 all stiff soils, is a serious matter ; and while wheat was 

 selling at 303. a quarter, oats at 203., and so on, in recent 

 years, it was out of the question that arable cultivation should 

 increase, even on dairy farms. It is undeniable that land 



