126 THE MINORITY REPORT 



sent mostly under grass, with a view to breaking the 

 grass up and running it as a Demonstration Farm under 

 a competent manager. We think it would be possible 

 in this way to demonstrate to all the farmers of the 

 district the practical possibihty of making an arable 

 farm pay as well as or better than a grass farm. 

 Farmers are cautious in adopting changes of a per- 

 manent character and slow to move, but we are con- 

 vinced that for such a purpose ocular demonstration 

 is the best teacher. The farm should be run as a 

 purely commercial proposition and not for experi- 

 mental purposes ; the farm accounts should be kept 

 in detail and all the books be open to inspection. 



73. Whatever poUcy be adopted to secure the pro- 

 vision of more arable land, it is highly desirable that 

 the Board of Agriculture, either directly or through 

 the local authorities, should arrange for the supply 

 of motor ploughs and steam cultivators in the districts 

 to which they are suited, so that the best possible 

 use may be made of them during the appropriate 

 seasons. The machines might be kept under the 

 control of an official of the county council or of a local 

 agricultural society, who would arrange with the 

 farmers to pay a fee for their use sufficient to cover 

 all expenses. 



74. We also think it desirable that the Board should 

 arrange with the Ministry of Munitions that certain 

 suitable munition works should be utilised as soon as 

 war demands permit of it for the manufacture of 

 agricultural machinery. And even before this time 

 agricultural engineering firms should, if possible, be 

 permitted to turn out a reasonable supply of spare 



