12 AGRICULTURE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



seven years, or iu any year since. Mr. Turnbull, 

 a careful statistician, also estimates that the 

 reduction in the gross annual revenue from 

 agriculture comparing the years 1874-75 with 

 the years 1892-93, was some 82 millions sterling, 

 or 33 3-5 per cent. After careful enquiries, 

 practical cultivators declared before the Commis- 

 sion that the average value in the price of all 

 kinds of farm products had declined 30 to 40 

 per cent, at least. 



No doubt, the depression has been largely due 

 to the low price of grain; and it is no wonder 

 that such an excellent authority as the late Sir 

 J. B. Lawes was of opinion that unless prices in 

 some direction became better arable land would 

 still further go down to grass. Since he made 

 that declaration arable land, as a matter of fact, 

 has gone down still further to grass. But what 

 have been the prices for grain? "Without giving 

 a lengthy table, we may state that whereas the 

 triennal average price of wheat from 18 7G to 

 1878 was 49s. 9d. per quarter, it came down to 

 31s. 9d. per quarter in 188G to 1888, whilst in 

 1903 the average price of that cereal was only 

 26s. 9d. per quarter. As regards barley, the 

 prices on the same three occasions were respec- 

 tively 38s. 4d., 26s. 7d., and 22s. 8d. per quarter. 

 In regard to oats the prices were 25s. 6d., ITs. 4d., 

 and 17s. 2d. 



It is very important in this connection to bear 

 in mind that whilst in 1903 the average value 

 of the home-groAvn wheat was, as already stated, 



