i8 THE ERRORS OF THE PAST 



As regards cereals, statistics tell us that during 

 the twenty years between 1893 and 1913 our 

 production of cereals had decreased by 3,000,000 

 quarters — from 38,000,000 to 35,000,000 quarters — 

 while the production of cereals in Germany during 

 the same twenty years had risen by the enormous 

 amount of 63, 000,000 quarters — from 96,000,000 to 

 159,000,000 quarters (p. 19). And this, be it noted, not 

 at the cost of other branches of agriculture ; for their 

 head of stock increased also, and side by side with a 

 marvellous development of her urban industries. 



Again, in Holland, Belgium and Denmark, during 

 the past thirty years the jdeld of cereals per acre 

 has been increased till it now stands at an average 

 25 per cent higher than the average for the United 

 Kingdom. 



During the past thirty years our average per acre 

 for cereals has remained about stationary. 



The seriousness of the fact that in spite of the 

 fair prices which have maintained during the past 

 seven or eight years, the total production of our 

 soil tends to decrease, cannot be over-emphasised. 

 The decrease would be much more noticeable if 

 it were not for the fact that in certain areas there 

 has been a great development of intensive culti- 

 vation in the way of market gardening, and the 

 increase in this direction has made the decrease 

 in actual farm produce less apparent. 



A third source from which the people who like 

 to take their opinions ready-made derive comfort 

 is Malthus' theory that " Population must ever 

 press upon the limits of production," and his " Law 

 of Diminishing Returns." Both are wonderfully 

 soothing for the uneasy conscience, and we cannot 

 therefore wonder that they have taken great hold 



