79 



As I remarked before, although it is assumed with 

 good reason that the development of the country has 

 been large" y clue to the extension of railways over 

 large zones of easily cultivated soil, none the less this 

 has been equally contributed to by the period of re- 

 latively high prices for grain in comparison to the 

 costs of production. During the past ten years this 

 has stimulated the cultivation of wheat, and likewise 

 the consumption of wheaten flour all over the world. 

 This has received a still further stimulus during the 

 past few years, under the war system of food boun- 

 ties, notably outside the customary areas of extensive 

 grain production, Canada, Australia, India, United 

 States, etc., with the consequence that the European 

 countries, primarily consuming lands, now find them- 

 selves with a plethora of food stuffs, and the only 

 shortage is actually to be found in those countries of 

 Europe which previously were the chief purveyors, viz 

 Russia, Hungray, Rumania, etc. 



WAR FARMS AND BOUNTY GROWN WHEATS. 



It is difficult to imagine that these lands will go 

 out of cultivation as easily as they were put in. Inter- 

 ests have been evolved which will hold as tenaciously 

 for their present advantages as we will have to do for 

 ours. 



Europe will continue to produce more and more, 

 just as Canada, United States, Australia, etc., are still 

 doing despite the fact that the real necessity of the 

 moment has passed. All this no one can pretend will 

 favour our farmers, any more than the great tendency 

 towards an agricultural revival in England will prove 

 propitious to us, unless we can compete so effectively 

 as to make it economically a failure. 



THE PALL IN PRICES. 



Before we can do this, a great decline in prices 

 will take place, or what is the same thing, the costs of 

 production will go up, which means that every eco- 

 nomy will have to be exercised if our farmers are to 

 make anything out of cereal growing, and these eco- 

 nomies will have to begin right away, from the start 

 of operations, and hot finish even with freights half 

 what they are now. 



