172 BlUTAIN FOR THE BRITON 



" Waste " Land a Prominent Landscape Feature 



The people have indeed become so accustomed to heath and 

 moor as a part, and in many counties a considerable part, of 

 our landscape, that they now regard it as one of Nature's 

 prominent features, in much the same way as they look upon 

 mountain, lake, or torrent. The professors of economics who 

 teach the creed that it is more profitable to allow our best 

 lands to lie idle, and purchase our food-stuffs in foreign 

 countries, are hardly likely to recommend the tillage of our 

 waste lands ; nor is it to be supposed that that vast array of 

 " Agricultural Discouragers " — referred to in Chapter XXII. of 

 this book — would advocate the reclairaincf of those uncultivated 

 tracts when they give a cold douche to all who are sanguine 

 enough to believe that our ordinary arable land might be 

 worked at a profit, even under the irrational conditions which 

 now exist in this irrational, party-ridden country. 



For various causes these 16 million acres of waste lands 

 are lying idle and unprofitable, producing nothing for the 

 people, nor affording them any means of employment. 



In any one of the European States where agriculture is 

 regarded as of primal importance in the national economy, 

 the tremendous potentialities contained in this vast " waste " 

 would, in a few years, be converted into a strong compelling 

 force, which would launch into existence a numerous thriving 

 and prosperous agricultural population, whose great purchasing 

 power would stimulate manufactures and largely increase 

 trade. Nor does it require demonstration here that the " waste " 

 land of to-day can become the fertile soil of to-morrow, it 

 being well known that high culture converts inferior into the 

 most productive land. 



Much "Waste" Land as Good as the Best 



The fact of this matter is that much of this " waste " land 

 is just as good as umch of that now under cultivation, while 

 the remainder could be made highly productive by good tillage. 



The 13,000,000 ares of " imcultivable or uncultivated" 

 land, which include "mountains, water, roads, etc.," come 

 under a different category, because we cannot do without 

 roads, nor can we empty our lakes and rivers or level our 

 mountains. 



If, however, our mountains were in Swiss, German, or 

 French hands, much mountain land that is now " waste " 

 would soon be covered with productive forests, while con- 

 siderable numbers of sheep, which are now fed on the very 



