THE POSITION AT HOME 



63 



figures in regard to items which may fairly be regarded as 

 comparable : — 



Produce. 



Wheat, grain and flour . . 



Meat 



Poultry, eggs, rabbits and 



game 

 Fish 



Dairy produce 

 Fruit 

 Vegetables 



Totals 



Home Production. Imported. 



10,000,000 

 78,000,000 



15,000,000 

 9,000,000 



42,000,000 

 6,000,000 



20,000,000 



48,000,000 

 51,000,000 



10,000,000 



3,000,000 



35,000,000 



16,000,000 



4,000,000 



^180,000,000 £167,000,000 



If the total value of the imports is deducted from that of 

 the home production, there will be found a balance of 

 £13,000,000 in favour of the latter ; but this balance would 

 be substantially increased if there could be added to it the 

 value of the home production on small holdings and gardens 

 not included in the official returns. 



While, therefore, the agricultural position in Great Britain 

 to-day may still be discouraging for the gentleman farmer 

 of the olden type, who finds it so difficult to compete with 

 the wheat imports from other countries, the facts and figures 

 here presented show that the situation still affords plenty of 

 encouragement to working farmers, market gardeners, dairy 

 farmers, live-stock breeders, and small holders producing 

 other crops or other alternatives to wheat-growing. 



As against restriction of opportunities in some directions 

 there has, in fact, been a widening out of opportunities in 

 others ; though the later developments have applied mainly 

 to " smaller " types of producers, and that, too, under 

 conditions which render especially desirable and necessary 

 an ever-increasing resort in Great Britain, as in other 

 countries, to agricultural organisation. 



Need for Organisation. 



Most of the fundamental reasons for agricultural organisa- 

 tion which apply to the countries of the world in general, 



