Land Problems and National Welfare 



under cultivation, (grass and arable), gives a 

 yield of a little under £\ per acre, which is a 

 low yield, considering the richness of our soil. 



The first function of the land is to feed the 

 people of the country: in other words, to produce 

 as much foodstuff per acre as possible. And if 

 this is not being done under existing methods 

 and economic conditions, then conditions more 

 favourable to the land must be created — con- 

 ditions which will make it once more so decidedly 

 remunerative to cultivate arable land that the 

 12,000,000 acres of poor and unprofitable 

 pasture will be won back to the nation. 



I have quoted the receipts per acre of six 

 large farmers, to show how enormously these 

 receipts vary ; it is not necessary ta go abroad 

 to make comparisons. Do not the figures which 

 I quote show at a glance what would be the 

 effect upon the food supply of the nation if the 

 average yield per acre were raised, I will not 

 say to approximately that of the show farmer, 

 but to that of the second on the list, making 

 an average of {j or ^8 per acre instead of ^4 ? 



The test of true patriotism for the farmer is 

 the amount of foodstuff he can raise. His duty 

 to his country is to feed the people ; his duty 

 to himself and to his family is to make a fair 

 living off the land, and provision for his old age. 

 In Denmark those farmers whom I questioned 

 informed me that in from 30 to 35 years they 



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