PRACTICAL FARMING. 27 



hay. These cannot be used direct but must be employed in 

 producing meat or milk. Assuming that they are used in meat 

 production, a 20-ton mangold crop would produce food for 40 

 persons per 100 acres and a 3o-cwt. crop of meadow hay would 

 similarly provide for 14 persons. It will thus be seen that there 

 is a wide range in value between our different farm crops when 

 value is estimated in terms of production of human food. 



A very interesting paper was read by Mr. R. R. Robbins 

 on a subject which has hitherto received less attention at 

 any rate from farmers generally than it merits, viz., 

 " Intensive Culture," which he defined as the production 

 of fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants, trees, shrubs and seeds 

 on a large or small scale, under glass or in the open. Mr. 

 Robbins added : 



The amount of labour required per 100 acres for any of the 

 purposes mentioned, as compared with the amount required 

 per 100 acres for a well-managed mixed farm, is, I submit, 

 sufficient justification for regarding them as forms of intensive 

 culture. The following estimate of the number of men required 

 per 100 acres on a well-managed holding, devoted to (a) mixed 

 farming, (b) fruit and vegetables, (c) culture of fruit, vegetables, 

 etc., under glass, may be of interest : 



(a) Mixed farming ..... 3-5 men. 



(b) Fruit and vegetables .... 20-30 



(c) Glass 200-300 



The following particulars given by Mr. Robbins of some 

 of the mam crops which are intensively cultivated are of 

 permanent special interest : 



Tomatoes. Less than half a century ago the tomato plant 

 was grown only for decorative purposes in greenhouses, and the 

 fruit was no more considered to be edible than is now the berry 

 of the deadly nightshade. Who first discovered its nutritive 

 properties I cannot say, but gradually a taste was acquired 

 for it until a demand for it was created. This induced nursery- 

 men to grow the plant for market purposes and eventually 

 to build more houses for the cultivation of the crop. To-day 

 there are probably upwards of 1,000 acres of glass devoted to 

 tomato culture. An average crop under glass yields from 30- 

 35 tons per acre per annum. The annual output, therefore, 

 would be from 30,000-35,000 tons. In confirmation of these 

 figures I may say that, in 1917, one Covent Garden firm alone 

 distributed 11,000 tons of English-grown tomatoes half the 

 amount being distributed from a single London warehouse. 



