ENGLAND'S FOOD-SUPPLY 



the figures, however, shows a further disquieting 

 result. During the period considered the yield of 

 wheat per acre in the United Kingdom has remained 

 absolutely stationary, while in those countries that 

 have increased their acreage under wheat the yield 

 has risen from between 15 to 40 per cent. The 

 following is the detailed comparison : 



In Germany the yield has gone up 



In France 



In Russia 



In Hungary 



In Roumania 



In Bulgaria 



40 per cent. 



18 



20 



15 



20 

 25 



Perhaps it may be thought Great Britain makes 

 up for her deficiencies as a wheat-grower by a marked 

 predominance in stock-raising. The facts unfortu- 

 nately are otherwise, as the figures again show : 



In forty years the German stock of 



cattle has increased from . . 

 And pigs from 

 France: Increase of cattle from 



Increase of pigs from 

 Belgium : Increase of cattle from 



Increase of pigs from 

 Hungary : Increase of cattle from 



Increase of pigs from 



The United Kingdom has increased cattle only from 10,000,000 

 to 11,000,000; while the stock of pigs remains practically the 

 same viz., under 4,000,000. 



15,000,000 to 20,000,000 

 7,000,000 to 22,000,000 



11,000,000 to 14,000,000 

 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 

 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 

 600,000 to 1,300,000 

 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 

 4,000,000 to 7,500,000 



In normal times the situation is a grave one for the 

 nation, but in view of the European War it offers a 

 menace of exceptional gravity. Let us assume, as we 

 have now perhaps a right to assume, that the allied 

 navies will preserve the freedom of the seas as mag- 

 nificently inviolate to the end of the war as they have 

 done during the first twelve months of it, and that we 



