150 A REVIVAL OF AGRICULTURE 



way of raising her own crops and manufacturing 

 beet sugar. She might add to her home-grown 

 foods, if she chose to grow beet, anything up to 

 one milHon tons a year. 



The amount of wheat threshed annually in 

 Great Britain varies so much that it would be 

 rash to predict to what extent she might increase 

 permanently her outturn. In 1898 she produced 

 nearly seventy-five million bushels on 2,158,401 

 acres ; in 1909 she produced twelve million 

 bushels less on an acreage less by nearly 300,000. 

 The price of British wheat in 1909 was about 

 three shillings more per quarter than in 1898. 



It is evident that Great Britain can to some 

 extent, at any rate, increase her product of wheat. 

 And so also might she increase her product of 

 oats, which is quite a good food cereal, though 

 not greatly used as such. If labour were forth- 

 coming, and in all cases only the best seed 

 were used in ground thoroughly prepared, it is 

 reckoned Great Britain might easily feed herself 

 for two hundred days in the year. 



The knowledge that Great Britain had taken 

 measures to secure this result might very well 

 act as a deterrent to those anxious to make war 

 upon her, and hoping to gain their end by 

 starving her in her citadel. 



Under all circumstances Great Britain is forced 

 to import the greater part of her raw material 

 and much of her food. If to the weight of food 

 stuffs imported be added that of imported food 

 for animals, about twelve million tons are brought 

 to Great Britain annually. The weight of raw 



