CHAPTER VIII 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 



THE argument set out in these pages may now be 

 briefly summarized : 



1. In the interests of the nation as a whole it is 

 necessary to grow at home a larger proportion of the 

 food we consume : (a) as a national insurance in time of 

 war ; (6) to develop our internal resources and reduce 

 our foreign indebtedness, a matter which becomes of 

 greatest moment in war time ; (c) to increase the 

 agricultural population as a specially valuable element 

 in the community. 



2. These objects can only be attained if more land 

 is put under the plough. Land under arable cultiva- 

 tion produces nearly three times as much food as when 

 under grass, and employs ten times as many men. 



3. Some action by the State is necessary in order to 

 secure any considerable ploughing up of grass. The 

 farmers are distrustful of the future both as regards the 

 prices of produce and the cost of labour. Even in the 

 years immediately preceding the war, when prices were 

 high enough to make arable farming really profitable, 

 they preferred the safer if smaller returns on grazing 

 and were still laying down land to grass. This process 

 is likely to continue after the war while uncertainty 

 prevails as to the course of prices and of wages, 



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