PRACTICAL FARMING. 29 



Just before the outbreak of the war, in July, 1914, on a 

 holding of 315 acres or thereabouts, the firm with which I am 

 connected had in their employ 



no men regularly employed. 

 29 women ,, ,, 



9 boys ,, 



and the wages paid have averaged from 25^30 per acre 

 for many years past. I know instances where these figures 

 are exceeded, and I should imagine that the average figure 

 paid for labour on a holding devoted to fruit and vegetables 

 would be from 15-^20 per acre. Where the forcing of vege- 

 tables in winter is undertaken the employment provided is of 

 a more regular character, and, generally speaking, the amount 

 spent in wages per acre is higher. The forcing of rhubarb is, 

 without doubt, the most considerable instance of the particular 

 form of culture to which I refer. It is a speciality of the Leeds 

 district, yet it is not confined to that area. The holdings devoted 

 to rhubarb production in the Leeds district range from 3-100 

 acres in size. A special rhubarb train in normal times runs 

 from Leeds to King's Cross to take supplies to the London 

 markets. Rhubarb from Leeds is also carried in large quantities 

 to Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. It is much appreciated, 

 too, in the colliery districts of South Wales. It goes to Plymouth 

 and to the Channel Isles, and it goes even to Hamburg for 

 distribution to various places on the Continent. In the height 

 of the season, i.e., February-March, 30 tons per day are dis- 

 patched to the London markets. 



Asparagus, mushrooms and seakale are examples of other 

 vegetables forced on a far larger scale than most people imagine. 

 My firm has forced as much as 40 acres of the latter vegetable 

 in one season before the war, and the average area devoted to 

 it would be not less than 35 acres. 



In the course of a discussion on " Milk Production," 

 opened by Sir Archibald Weigall, Mr. A. Wadman, speaking 

 as a large milk producer, said he had produced as much as 

 1,000 gallons per day from his herd. Milk was then sold 

 as low as 6d. per gallon in May, the average price being 

 about 8d. in summer to lod. in winter. As he remarked, 

 producers could not be accused of extortion even although 

 they had a monopoly of the supply. In the same discussion, 

 Mr. Wilfrid Buckley observed that it was possible to obtain 

 clean milk from any byre if the cows were properly handled 

 and the utensils properly cleaned 



