Land Problems and National Welfare 



last few years. There are now theatres in which 

 the average standard of acting compares favour- 

 ably with the continental average. As the star 

 actor was detrimental to the English stage as a 

 whole, so I maintain that the " star " farmer 

 has an injurious effect upon the agricultural 

 industry. In the first place he is cited as the 

 typical English agriculturist carrying on farm- 

 ing operations on a large scale and in a manner 

 superior to any farmer in the world. But he is 

 not typical — he is exceptional. I willingly 

 admit that his farming, qua the large farmer, 

 is about the best in the world. Alas ! it is also 

 far better than that of his neighbours. 



I have compared 500 acre farms, as nearly 

 alike as possible in soil, buildings and market 

 facilities, and I have found the first-class farmer 

 producing perhaps ;^I2 worth of foodstuff per 

 acre — that is, the gross yield, the total amount 

 received for stock, corn, etc., divided by the 

 number of acres on the farm ; while other 

 farmers, the average men, had very different 

 results to show, ^7, £6, £4, and £;i per acre, 

 and some even less. Now the advanced farmer 

 would be a great power for good if his neigh- 

 bours would follow his lead and adopt his 

 methods ; but any observer with practical ex- 

 perience will, I think, agree that this is not the 

 case, but, rather that he has a discouraging 

 effect. The average man feels that Mr. So- 



S6 



