18 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



industry lost ^1,000,000,000 of its capital. Yet, during 

 this period, in continental countries agriculture was 

 forging steadily ahead. Here I am concerned only with 

 the bare statement of the fact. 



It was not until 1904 that definite signs of improve- 

 ment in the agricultural situation could be seen, and 

 from that time until the Great War prices were working 

 slowly upward and farmers were better off. But in 

 spite of increasing prices there was little correspond- 

 ing increase in production from the soil. 



WHEAT 



Wheat is or should be the basic crop in arable 

 farming, and from the national point of view it is of 

 such importance that a paragraph or two must now 

 be devoted to it. 



From 1600 onwards, more and more wheat was 

 produced and the yield of wheat per acre gradually 

 increased. 



In the Middle Ages the average yield of wheat per 

 acre was very low — about that of Australia to-day, i.e. 

 some 12 bushels per acre. By 1800 it had risen to an 

 average of 20 bushels, and for the nineteenth century 

 the yield was about 30 bushels, and this is our present 

 average. 



It is hard for us to realize from our own experience 

 in regard to growing wheat in England that, at one 

 period, she was a wheat-exporting country — in fact for 

 nearly a century, between 1688 and 1760, the export 

 was considerable in some years. 



After 1760 we exported very little wheat, and from 1840 

 our imports increased steadily . In 1 840 we were gro win g 



