146 APPENDIX 



artificials is required in the early years, the cost is 

 made up by the cheapness of cultivation. In Ger- 

 many as much as £7 an acre has been paid for such 

 heath land, the reclaiming including the ploughing 

 in of the lupin crop, costs £5 to £6 per acre, and after 

 two or three years' cultivation the land sells at £20 

 to £30 an acre. A small experiment is in progress by 

 the Development Commission on 200 acres of land of 

 this class in Norfolk formerly let as a rabbit warren ; 

 in the second year 136 acres were under crop, and 

 though the season (1915) was unfavourable, yielded 

 per acre 27^ bushels of wheat, 28 bushels of oats, 17 

 bushels of peas, and 65 cwt. of potatoes. The cropping 

 of 136 acres that had been reclaimed in the previous 

 year cost in 1914-15 £1,051, and the receipts are 

 estimated at £1,330. Despite dilBficulties with regard 

 to labour and the dearness of the indispensable potash 

 manures, the reclamation of the 160 acres which are 

 now clear and ready for ordinary cropping has not 

 cost more than £4 lis. per acre, exclusive of manage- 

 ment and administration, charges for which have 

 been heavy on so small an experimental area. It 

 may be estimated that land of this class having 

 initially a letting value of 2s. to 3^. an acre (exclusive 

 of sporting rights) may be given a letting value of 

 155. per acre by an expenditure on reclaiming pro- 

 perty of about £5 an acre. Buildings have also to be 

 provided, but the cost is low because no horned stock 

 has to be provided for, about £5 per acre (reckoning 

 half the cost of cottages to be covered by their rent). 

 The reclamation of this type of land would therefore 

 just pay its way, but the land improves with cultiva- 



