124 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



places I have visited— in Essex and Jersey for example — 

 and the net profit ranged from ;(^200 to ;^400 per acre. 

 But for cultivation under glass the initial capital outlay 

 is very great, and expert knowledge of a very high order 

 is necessary to secure success. The present high cost of 

 equipment would make development in this direction 

 impossible. 



The capital outlay for the French system of market 

 gardening was about ;^50o per acre — this at pre-war 

 prices ; in fact all these figures are pre-war, as with the 

 present rapid fluctuation it is hard to give reliable 

 figures. 



From the 5 -acre market garden and fruit holding 

 I have three returns showing j^iio, ;^i25 and ;^i30, as 

 the net cash income three holders received from their 

 land ; and this after paying annual instalments which 

 would purchase the land in twenty years. To these 

 cash receipts should be added the value of the produce 

 from the holding consumed by the family. 



Taking the fruit farm of 30 acres, for instance, in the 

 Evesham district, at a conservative estimate the gross 

 yield per acre would average something about j^6o, and 

 the net profit about fjzo per acre. The Lancashire grass- 

 land holdings show about as good results as can be 

 found from this type. I have seen w^ell-kept accounts 

 in this district which show profits ranging from f^ to 

 f^\o per acre, and a gross turnover of up to ^10 per acre. 

 I have been on holdings of 30 acres which were carrying 

 fifteen cows and a number of pigs — this is what may be 

 termed " intensive grass farming." But these holdings 

 were splendidly situated in regard to markets, and the men 

 themselves were particularly progressive. The average 

 grass-land holding of 30 to 50 acres probably does not 

 yield more than a cash profit of ^2 per acre. And very 



