Qrass versus Arable 



wheat at 4.0s. per quarter, and the yield at 

 five quarters to the acre. This is not theory, 

 but a statement of what has been done in 

 recent years by many who have ploughed up 

 grass. It is not suggested that all the grass 

 land in the country should be ploughed up, 

 nor yet that the best grass land should be 

 ploughed up — two conclusions at which many 

 people irrationally arrive whenever the 

 question of ploughing up grass land is 

 mooted. It is only fair to the British farmer 

 to recall the reasons which led to a large 

 area of land being laid down to grass during 

 the agricultural depression. The price of 

 cereals fell to such a degree owing to the 

 competition of cheap production on virgin 

 soil, that the English farmer could no longer 

 grow them at a profit. He lost confidence, 

 and that sense of security which is necessary 

 to stir men to sustained effort, and he felt 

 that the cultivation of arable land would 

 never again be remunerative ; grass land 

 was safer, as it did not demand so heavy an 

 outlay of money or labour. Naturally the 

 farmer turned his attention to the reducing 

 of his working expenses, and laying down 



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