THE WAR AND AGRICULTURE 399 



the price up to 35s. a quarter ; and is he aware that the matter 

 is urgent on account of the necessary preparation of the land ? 

 Sir H. Verney (Parliamentary Secretary to Board of Agricul- 

 ture) : The Prime Minister has asked me to answer these questions. 

 The retention of this year's wheat crop in stack until next summer 

 would admittedly result in loss, through vermin and other causes, 

 of a large percentage of the grain, besides depriving farmers of 

 the use of the straw, and I am glad to be able to announce that 

 the Government, after minute examination of the position, are 

 satisfied that there is no necessity for them to take any action 

 of the kind suggested in the first part of the question put by 

 Mr. Bathurst. With regard to next year's cereal crop, the 

 Government have carefully considered all the available inform- 

 ation ; it is a highly technical question, and, after consulting 

 expert opinion, they have arrived at the conclusion that they 

 would not be justified in holding out a financial inducement to 

 farmers to increase their acreage of cereals. At the same time 

 the Board adhere to the advice which they issued to farmers 

 recently, with the concurrence of the Consultative Committee, 

 that wheat appears likely to be a profitable crop next year. 

 And on 15th September 



Mr. Bathurst asked whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 would consider the desirability of issuing negotiable wheat war- 

 rants or certificates upon which advances of money could be made 

 on easy terms to those farmers w r ho, in the national interest, 

 were prepared to keep their wheat off the market until the spring 

 or summer of next year, but whose financial resources did not 

 admit of their locking up a substantial part of their capital for 

 several months. 



Sir H. Verney, who replied, said that the matter had been 

 carefully considered, and it was felt that farmers would best 

 serve the national interests by dealing with their wheat crops this 

 year exactly as they would have done in normal circumstances. 

 No action of the kind suggested by the hon. member was con- 

 sidered necessary. 



The Government's replies to these questions aroused much 

 discussion, especially among agriculturists, and many ill-con- 

 sidered statements were published in the Press. Having per- 

 sistently advocated a bonus on wheat growing in the United 

 Kingdom ever since 1896, solely with a view to safeguarding the 

 nation's food supply, the present writer felt compelled to take 

 the first opportunity of expressing his views on the position, 

 The following report is extracted from the Journal of the Central 

 and Associated Chambers of Agriculture : 



ISLE OF WIGHT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 ADDRESS BY MB. A. H. H. MATTHEWS. 



A MEETING of the Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society 

 was held at Newport, on 3rd October, when Mr. A. H. H. 



