SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— M. 411 



The process of enclosures was slow in East Riding, and by 1850 there 

 were still large common lands, especially on the Wolds. The turnip crop 

 was not established until the nineteenth century, and then the Norfolk 

 rotation and sheep-folding revolutionised Wold farming. Graphs showing 

 changes of agricultural population during the last century reflect agricultural 

 prosperity and depression, and different Soil Regions give characteristic 

 curves. The graph of Wold land population is always slightly below the 

 average ; of good medium-heavy land always above, and the graph of light 

 land cuts across the average. 



Mr. J. Strachan. — The present position. 

 (See Scientific Survey of York and District, appendix to this volume.) 



Saturday, September 3. 



Excursion to Wheldrake, Thornton, Southburn, Garton Fields, Sled- 

 mere and Malton. 



Monday, September 5. 



Discussion on Increasing and cheapening stock production (Prof. J. A. S. 

 Watson ; Dr. N. C. Wright ; Mr. H. R. Davidson ; Mr. W. A. 

 Stewart) : — ■ 



Prof. J. A. S. Watson. — Reducing production costs of beef . 



The home beef industry suffers under two chief disadvantages as compared 

 with its main overseas competitor. On the one hand, the British national 

 herd includes a large and increasing proportion of the dairy breeds, and 

 hence necessarily produces a quantity of material that is of second-rate 

 value for beef production. This problem should be approached from the 

 broad national point of view, as it is in fact already being approached in 

 Ireland. 



The second disability arises out of the shortness of the British grazing 

 season, which varies from five to seven months, while some competing 

 areas approach the ideal of twelve nionths' grass. In this country the cost 

 of production, in terms of live weight increase, is nearly two and a half times 

 as high in winter as in summer. Roots, which form the basis of the 

 traditional winter ration, are very expensive to produce on account of their 

 high requirements of hand labour. It seems probable that the average 

 cost of producing energy in this form has been higher, over a period of 

 years, than the cost of an equivalent amount in the form of purchased 

 maize, etc. The root crop does not lend itself to mechanisation, which 

 alone could permit any substantial reduction in costs. The paper discusses 

 some possible alternatives. 



Dr. N. C. Wright. — Wastage in dairy cows. 



During recent years a number of investigations have been carried out 

 with the object of ascertaining the length of life of dairy cows, and the 

 causes of premature disposal of milking stock. 



As regards length of life, data relating to annual disposals from herds 

 appear to be difficult to interpret and, in some cases, undoubtedly give 



