A FALL IN PRICES 13 



But this great decline in numbers was further 

 hastened by the change in actual farming 

 operations. The ploughing up of the land, 

 which during the last thirty years has been laid 

 to grass, would involve a very greatly increased 

 demand for labour in our country districts — as 

 high a figure as 100,000 more labourers is 

 estimated as the probable number which 

 would be required. 



The climax in the history of agriculture in 

 this country was undoubtedly reached at the 

 time when our demand for food exceeded by 

 any appreciable amount the limit of our home 

 production. Imports grew to vast dimen- 

 sions. Prices were no longer governed by the 

 harvests at home, but by the output of 

 countries possibly many thousands of ^miles 

 away. Farmers discovered that a bad harvest 

 was no longer compensated for by good 

 prices, which before had always been the 

 natural consequence of a failing crop. A 

 good or indifferent harvest at home could have 

 no effect on the price of a commodity which 

 was being poured into the country in such vast 

 (juantities. This was the first serious result 

 wliich the rapidly changing conditions brought 



