28 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



feature ; and that at various periods during the last 

 600 years the Government has attempted to reduce the 

 area under grass and to increase the area under the 

 plough. 



(4) That the British farmer has always resented such 

 interference, and has often put up a passive but effective 

 resistance to it. 



(5) That the development in British agriculture is of 

 comparatively recent date. 



(6) That in the main, development and improvements 

 in agriculture have not been evolved by the farmers 

 themselves, but by a few outstanding individuals — or 

 in recent years by the action of the Government, e.g. 

 in creating a system of agricultural education. 



The great agricultural societies have played an 

 important part at times, but these societies are not 

 " farmers' " societies pure and simple. Landowners have 

 always taken a leading part. In regard to State inter- 

 ference it has sorrowfully to be admitted that in this 

 country it has been on the whole singularly unsuccessful, 

 largely because we have had an official personnel not 

 well qualified to deal with complicated land questions, 

 and even more because we have had no fixed and carefully 

 thought out agricultural poHcy to guide the official 

 administration. 



In strong contrast is the result of Government action 

 in such countries as Denmark and Germany ; there for 

 many years there has been a definite agricultural policy 

 recognized as right and sound by all parties, and the 

 State has assisted the agriculturists (and in turn it has 

 been assisted by them) to bring that policy to fruition 

 to the benefit of the whole nation. 



The succeeding chapters will deal with the more 



