108 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



eighteen years has been ^^2 15s. yd. per acre, and from 

 the grass land during the same period 7s. iid. 



" It is especially interesting to note that the wheat 

 crop grown in the dry climate of the east of England 

 has proved itself the most profitable ; and it would seem 

 to be possible, if the prices of the last six years should 

 be maintained, that a far larger area of wheat might be 

 grown than is now the case." 



It should be noted that, during the period when 

 Mr. Strutt's figures show that wheat was the most 

 profitable crop, the practically universal opinion amongst 

 farmers was that wheat growing did not pay, but that 

 raising live stock did. Personally, I began my farming 

 operations on a large scale in 1903, when I had to take 

 over 4000 acres of " mixed farm " land as they stood ; 

 and one very soon realized from the account books 

 that the live stock department was showing a loss, while 

 there was a good profit from cereals. In general terms, 

 the book-keeping on farms is not accurate enough to 

 show which department is making a profit, and guesses 

 on such a subject are of no value. 



It should, however, be clearly recognized that there 

 are large numbers of grass-land farmers who do not know 

 how to handle arable land properly, and who would in 

 consequence make little or no profit if they attempted 

 to do so ; also that, while the potential margin of profit is 

 greater from arable than it is from grass land, in the case 

 of the poor farm that margin is susceptible to greater 

 variation than is the case in grass-land farming. 



Again there is little doubt that where a nation is hostile 

 to, or neglects, the agricultural industry, the grass-land 

 farmer can face such a situation better than " the arable 

 farmer." 



But it should not be necessary to take such a situation 



