II. SOCIAL PROBLEMS. 



POPULATION. 



The broadest social question relating to the land is that of the 

 number or proportion of the population who are directly supported 

 by agriculture, or live in rural surroundings. It is undoubtedly true 

 that many diseases are more rife and the population is less healthy 

 in urban than in rural districts, but whether this is avoidable or 

 inevitable has not been proved. There is a certainty, however, 

 that a smaU country like our own cannot maintain a large proportion 

 of its population in agriculture. A few elementary figures will 

 prove this statement. The cultivated area of England and Wales 

 amounts to 27,000,000 acres, and if another million acres or so 

 could be added, the limit of settlement would soon be reached. 

 Experience proves that for the maintenance and emplojnnent of a 

 moderate family, twenty-five acres of land are needed under most 

 types of cultivation. Five acres under vegetables and fruit may 

 employ and support a family, but there is a distinct limit to the 

 demand for the produce of such holdings. Even smaller holdings 

 may be sufficient under highly specialised sj'stems of market 

 gardening, but these sj^stems depend upon the demand for produce 

 of a high quality, usually at periods when the general supply is 

 unavailable. But in any case rich land is needed for holdings 

 under five acres supporting a famil}', and this land is limited in 

 amount. On the other hand, Avhere land is poor, forty, or even 

 fifty acres will be needed to provide a family with a decent standard 

 of life.* Thus, if the average of 27 acres is taken, we could settle 

 about one million families on the present area. With an extension 

 of the area a small addition could be made. In 1911 there were 

 846,6631 persons of tweuty-five 3'ears of age and upwards 

 emploj'ed in agriculture and gardening (excluding persons employed 

 as domestic gardeners), and probably there would be more than 

 this number of families to maintain. There may be a margin for 

 the settlement of an additional 100,000 families, which would 

 add another 500,000 people to the rural pojDulation, but this would 

 be possible under health}^ conditions only by a vast increase 

 in total production. It does not alwaj'S follow that when labour 



* On typps Hnd sizes of poss-ible holdings see the ' Eeport of the Committee on 

 Settlement, kc, of Soldiers,^ Cd. 8812, 1916, pp. 9-lu. (Price Gd.) 



t Persons Twenty-five Years of Age and upwards employed in Agriculture and 

 Gardening, 1911 (excluding Domestic Uardeners) : — 



Rural Districts. I Urban Districts.'- 



Agriculture— Males 080,910 



Females 48,860 



Gardening — Malt-s -12,3.53 



Females 1,437 



673,560 



Agriculture — Males 98,437 



Females 7,U.5S 



Gardening— Males 65.993 



Females 1,.525 



17.3.013 



