2l8 



NATURE 



[October 21, 1915 



divert the course of farming from its normal channels 

 would probably not result in an increased total pro- 

 duction from the land. The Agricultural Consulta- 

 tive Committee, appointed by the President of the 

 Board of Agriculture on August lo, issued some ex- 

 cellent advice to farmers as to their general line of 

 policy and the best means by which they could serve 

 the nation, and this was supplemented by the Board 

 and by the agricultural colleges and local organisations 

 throughout the country. No fewer than thirty special 

 leaflets were issued by the Board, but, while it may, I 

 think, fairly be claimed that .all the recommendations 

 made officially were sound and reasonable, 1^ should 

 be the last to aver that farmers were universally 

 guided by them. They do not accept official action 

 effusively : — 



Unkempt about those hedges blows 

 An Knglish unofficial rose, 



and official plants do not flourish naturally in farm 

 hedgerows. It was, however, fairly evident that 

 patriotism would suggest an effort to obtain the maxi- 

 mum production from the land, and there were good 

 reasons to think that self-interest would indicate the 

 same course. It must be admitted, however, that 

 during the autumn the lure of self-interest was not 

 very apparent. Food-prices, however, at the end of the 

 year began to rise rapidly. English wheat in Decem- 

 ber was 25 per cent, above the July level, in Januarv 

 45 per cent., in February and March 60 per cent., and 

 in May 80 per cent. Imported wheat generally rose to 

 a still greater extent, prices in May standing for No. 2 

 North Manitoba 95 per cent., and No. 2 Hard Winter 

 qo per cent, above July level. The greater rise in 

 imported wheat may be noted as vindicating farmers 

 against the charge which was made against them of 

 unreasonably withholding their wheat from the market. 

 Cattle and sheep rose more slowly, but in March prices 

 of both had risen by 20 per cent., and in Mav and 

 June cattle had risen by about 40 per cent. Butter 

 rose by about 20 per cent., and cheese by about 

 40 per cent. Milk rose little through the winter, but 

 when summer contracts were made prices remained 

 generallv at the winter level. 



British agriculture, like the British Isles, is a com- 

 paratively small affair geographically. The 47 million 

 acres which it occupies, compared with the 80 million 

 acres of Germanv or the qo million acres of France, 

 and still more the 290 million acres of the United 

 States, represent an area which may be termed 

 manageable, and about which one mieht expect to 

 generalise without much difficulty. But, in fact, 

 generalisation is impossible. Even "on the 27 million 

 acres of farm land in England and Wales there is 

 probably more diversity to the sauare mile than in 

 any country on earth. The variations in local condi- 

 tions, class of farmini?, and status of occupier preclude 

 the possibility of making any general statement with- 

 out elaborate qualifications. Thus whatever one might 

 say as to the effects of the war on agriculture would 

 be certain to be inaccurate in some districts and as 

 rep-ards some farmers. 



There are three main agricultural groups, corn- 

 growing, grazing, and dairving. They overlap and 

 intermingle indefinitely, and there are other impor- 

 tant groups, such as fruit-growing, vegetable-growing, 

 hop-growing, etc., which represent a very large share 

 of the enterprise and capital engaged on the land. 

 The receipts of the corn-growina: farmer, fenerallv 

 speaking, were substantially increased. Probablv 

 about 50 per cent, of the wheat-crop had been sold 

 before prices rose above 4o.<r. per quarter, and there 

 was very little left on the farms when thev reached 

 their maximum in May. Oats rose rather more 

 quickly, but did not reach so high a level, relatively, 



NO. 2399, VOL. 96] 



as wheat. Barley — owing perhaps to enforced and 

 voluntary temperance — never made exceptional prices, 

 and, in fact, the best malting barleys were of rather 

 less than average value. There is no doubt, howevery 

 that farmers who depended mainly on corn-growing 

 found an exceptionally good market for their crops 

 and made substantial profits. Farmers who depended 

 mainly on stock were less generally fortunate, although 

 stock were at a fairly high level of price when the 

 war began. Sheep for some time showed no signs 

 of getting dearer, but in the spring prices rose sub- 

 stantially, and a good demand for wool — which in one 

 or two cases touched 2s. per lb. — made the flock- 

 masters' returns on the whole very satisfactory. Cattle 

 followed much the same course ; stores were dear, but 

 by the time fat stock came out of the yards or off the 

 grass prices had risen to a very remunerative level. 

 The large demands on imported supplies of meat for 

 the British and French armies occasioned a distinct 

 shortage for the civil population, but this was relieved 

 by a reduced demand, so that the effect upon prices of 

 native beef and mutton was not so great as might 

 have been expected. The influence of a rise of price 

 upon demand is more marked in the case of meat 

 than in that of bread. While there has been a dis- 

 tinct reduction in the consumption of meat, there is 

 no evidence of a reduced consumption of bread. 



Dairy farmers generally found themselves in diffi- 

 culties. Prices of butter and cheese increased but 

 slightly, and milk remained for a considerable period 

 almost unchanged. The rise in the prices of feeding- 

 stuffs and the loss of milkers aggravated their troubles. 

 An actual instance of the position in February as 

 affecting a fairly typical two-hundred acre farm may 

 be quoted. It had thirty milch cows producing about 

 16,500 gallons per annum. The cake bill showed an 

 advance of 50 per cent., and wages had risen 12 per 

 cent. It was calculated that the extra cost was 1-3^. 

 per gallon of milk. Later the prices of milk, butter, 

 and cheese rose, but on the whole it cannot be said 

 that dairy farmers generally made exceptional profits. 



While it is certain that the gross receipts by farmers 

 were substantially increased, it is very difficult to 

 estimate what the net pecuniary gain to agriculture 

 has been. It can only be said generally that while 

 some have made substantial profits, which were prob- 

 aibly in very few cases excessive, many others have 

 on balance (after allowing for extra cost) done no 

 better financially, and some perhaps even worse, than 

 in an average year of peace. With regard to one 

 item of extra cost, that of labour, it is possible to 

 make an approximate estimate. Agricultural labourers 

 were among the first to respond to the call for the 

 new armies, and, up to the end of Januarv, 15 per 

 cent, had joined the forces of the Crown. This con- 

 siderable depletion of labour was not acutelv felt bv 

 farmers during the winter, but during the spring and 

 summer serious difficulty was experienced and many 

 devices were suggested — ^some of which were adopted 

 — for meeting it. Naturally the wages of those agri- 

 cultural labourers who were left rose, the rise varying 

 in different districts but being generally from 15. 6rf. 

 to 35. per week. Owing to the rise in the price of 

 commodities, this increase of wages cannot be re- 

 garded as a profit to the labourers, but it is, of course, 

 an outlay bv farmers, which in England and Wales 

 may be reckoned as amounting to an aggregate of 

 about 2,ooo,oooL 



This country has never suffered from a dearth of 

 agricultural advisers, and in such a time as the pre- 

 sent, when everyone is anxious to help the country, 

 it is natural that they should be unusually plentiful. 

 Advice was freely offered both to the Government how 

 to deal with farmers and to farmers how to deal with 



