i6 THE ERRORS OF THE PAST 



failed to equip itself to keep pace with the increasing 

 home demand for food due to the increase in the 

 population, but has actually failed to maintain 

 its efficiency, and so reduced its output. 



But they found comfort in the axiom — invented 

 by themselves to cure their qualms of conscience — 

 that a nation cannot at one and the same time 

 be a great manufacturing nation and a great agri- 

 cultural nation, but that it must be either one or 

 the other. 



Others, speaking on behalf of agriculture, declared 

 that any great increase in the agricultural output 

 must take place either in cereals or in live stock : 

 it cannot take place in both. 



1911 Census was 1,104,834, comprising 208,750 farmers and 

 graziers, 730,513 farm workers, and 165,571 other persons. 



The following table, compiled from the 191 1 Census returns, 

 shows the number of males in England and Wales aged 15 years 

 and upwards engaged in agriculture, i.e. on farms, woods and 

 gardens : — 



1. Farmers and graziers .... 208,750 



2. Farmers' and graziers' sons and other male 

 relatives assisting in the work of the farm 92,294 



3. Farm bailiffs, foremen .... 22,141 



4. Shepherds ...... 20,478 



5. Agricultural labourers in charge of cattle . 65,777 



6. Agricultural labourers in charge of horses 125,813 



7. Agricultural labourers not otherwise distin- 



guished ...... 404,010 



Total farm workers . 730.513 



8. Woodmen, nurserymen, seedsmen, florists, 

 market gardeners (including labourers), 

 other gardeners (not domestic) , agricultural 

 machine proprietors, attendants, etc. . 165,571 



Total males engaged in agriculture 1,104,834 



It is true that the census for 1910 showed some increase 

 in the rural population as compared with the census for 1900, 

 this there are certain reasons connected with the Boer War for, 

 but, and in 191 1, 1912 and 1913 the emigration from rural 

 districts was very high. 



