CORN CROPS AND MEAT SUPPLIES 89 



land as prevailed in 1872. It would be our aim, how- 

 ever, to increase the wheat as much as was consistent 

 with good farming, because from the point of view of 

 national safety wheat is the absolutely necessary food of 

 which a large stock must be maintained in the country. 

 If a real crisis came and the country were threatened 

 with starvation, not only can the ration of meat be 

 materially reduced without danger, but there would 

 always be a large reserve of meat in the country in the 

 shape of the breeding flocks and herds. It must also 

 be remembered that the production from a given area 

 of land in the form of corn and other vegetable materials 

 will in time of real need support about eight times 

 as many men as will the meat obtainable from the same 

 land. From eight to ten pounds of absolute food of 

 vegetable origin are consumed in making one pound of 

 absolute food in the shape of meat ; in other words, a 

 vegetarian population can exist on the produce of one- 

 eighth as much land as would be required by purely 

 meat-eaters. Without anticipating that it would ever 

 be necessary to resort to vegetarianism, an economy 

 can be effected during a time of scarcity by altering the 

 general diet in that direction and consuming vegetable 

 produce instead of first converting it into meat. But 

 this economy is only possible if the land is under arable 

 cultivation and can be cropped with wheat, oats, 

 potatoes, beans, etc., which can be used either as human 

 or cattle food, whereas grass land produces meat only. 

 We shall not, however, have gained, in times of peace, 

 if the increase in bread corn is purchased at the cost 

 of the existing supply of meat and milk ; from the 

 financial point of view we want to increase both, but 

 in a crisis the first necessity is to have wheat. 



