PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 765 



geograpliic<ally. The 47 million acres which it occupies, compared with the 

 80 million acres of Germany or the 90 million acres of France, and still more 

 with the 290 million acres of the United States, represent an area which may be 

 termed manageable and about which one might expect to generalise without 

 much difficulty. But, in fact, generalisation is impossible. Even on the 

 27 million acres of farm land in England and Wales there is probably more 

 diversity to the square mile than in any country on earth. The variations in 

 local conditions, class of farming, and status of occupier preclude the possi- 

 bility of making any general statement without elaborate qualifications. Thus 

 whatever one might say as to the effects of the war on agriculture would be 

 certain to be inaccurate in some districts and as regards some farmers. 



There are three main agricultural groupe, corn-growing, grazing, and dairy- 

 ing. They overlap and intermingle indefinitely, and there are other important 

 groups, such as fruit-growing, vegetable-growing, hop-growing, &c., which 

 represent a very large share of the enterprise and capital engaged on the land. 

 The receipts of the corn-growing farmer, generally speaking, were substantially 

 increased. Probably about 50 per cent, of the wheat-crop had been sold before 

 prices rose above 40s. per quarter, and there was very little left on the farms 

 when they reached their maximum in May. Oats rose rather more quickly, 

 but did not reach so high a level, relatively, as wheat. Barley — owing perhaps 

 to enforced and voluntary temperance — never made exceptional prices, and in 

 fact the best malting barleys were of rather less than average value. There 

 is no doubt, however, that farmers who depended mainly on corn-growing found 

 an exceptionally good market for their crops and made substantial profits. 

 Farmers who depended mainly on stock were less generally fortunate, although 

 stock were at a fairly high level of price when the war began. Sheep for some 

 time showed no signs of getting dearer, but in the spring prices rose substanti- 

 ally, and a good demand for wool — which in one or two cases touched 2s. 

 per lb. — made the flockmasters' returns on the whole very satisfactory. Cattle 

 followed much the same course; stores were dear, but by the time fat stock 

 came out of the yards or off the grass prices had risen to a very remunerative 

 level. The large demands on imported supplies of meat for the British and 

 French armies occasioned a distinct shortage for the civil population, but this 

 was relieved by a reduced demand, so that the effect upon prices of native beef 

 and mutton was not so great as might have been expected. The influence of 

 a rise of price upon demand is more marked in the case of meat than in that 

 of bread. While there has been a distinct reduction in the consumption of 

 meat, there is no evidence of a reduced consumption of bread. 



Dairy farmers generally found themselves in difficulties. Prices of butter 

 and cheese increased but slightly, and milk remained for a considerable period 

 almost unchanged. The rise in the prices of feeding-stuffs and the loss of 

 milkers aggravated their troubles. An actual instance of the position in 

 February as affecting a fairly typical two-hundred-acre farm may be quoted. 

 It had thirty milch cows, i)ro<lucing about 16,500 gallons per annum. The cake 

 bill showed an advance of fifty per cent., and wages had risen twelve per cent. 

 It was calculated that the extra cost was 13f/. per gallon of milk. Later the 

 prices of milk, butter, and cheese rose, but on the whole it cannot be said that 

 dairy farmers generally made exceptional profits. 



While it is certain that the gross receipts by farmers were substantially 

 increased, it is very difficult to estimate what the net pecuniary gain to agri- 

 culture has been. It can only be said generally that while some have made sub- 

 stantial profits, which probably were in very few cases excessive, many others 

 have on balance (after allowing for extra cost) done no better financially, and 

 some perhaps even worse, than in an average year of peace. With regard to 

 one item of extra cost, that of labour, it is possible to make an approximate 

 estimate. Agricultural labourers were among the first to respond to the call 

 for the new armies, and, up to the end of January, fifteen per cent, had joined 

 the forces of the Crown. This considerable depletion of labour was not acutely 

 felt by farmers during the winter, but during the spring and summer serious 

 difficulty was experienced and many devices were suggested — some of which 

 were adopted— for meeting it. Naturally the wages of those agricultural 

 labourers who were left rose, the rise varying in different districts but being 



