M.—AGRICULTURE 263 
cultural produce in the world as a whole, this much at any rate is clear : 
that an increased production of home-grown food is of paramount 
importance to our own country. 
There are two main reasons why this isso urgent. We have to remember 
that in the industrial changes which have taken place since the war many 
of our industries have either disappeared or have been so reduced in 
amount that there has been a serious displacement of labour. So far as 
one can see, there is no prospect of these industries recovering their 
former size in this country, and, while new industries may be introduced, 
there is a grave fear that the displacement of many workers from their 
previous occupations is permanent. No better way of using this displaced 
labour can be imagined than to employ it on the land to increase our 
home agricultural production. It is unnecessary to point out or minimise 
the obstacles to so profound a change—the disinclination of an urban 
population to move to the country, the problems of housing and wages, 
and the necessity of obtaining a remunerative price for the food produced 
are only some of the more obvious difficulties involved. 
The second reason is equally important, and that is to supply the 
consumer with as large a proportion as possible of fresh food which has 
not been subjected to chilling or freezing or to any of the chemical 
manipulations or treatment which are much too common nowadays. 
The deleterious effects of some of these processes on the general quality 
of food is now well appreciated, and it is certain that, no matter how care- 
fully these methods are carried out and controlled, the resulting product 
is not as good as the fresh material. The aim of the home producer 
should be, therefore, to produce the type of food in largest quantity 
where this quality of freshness is of the highest importance—e.g. meat, 
milk, butter, eggs, poultry and market-garden produce and fruit. In 
this way he can best meet the menace of overseas competition. At the 
same time much work will require to be done to educate the consumer 
to appreciate the superior value of fresh home-grown food as against 
that which has been chilled or preserved. It is quite certain that the 
consumer will not purchase home-grown produce for sentimental reasons : 
he will have to be convinced that the quality is better and that he is 
getting equally good value for his money. It will be necessary in this 
connection for the home producer to study the public taste a little more 
carefully perhaps than he has done in the past. 
The modern farmer must now choose between two courses. He may 
either adhere to traditional systems under which his products have to 
meet those of overseas competitors who possess dominant advantages in 
the production of most of their crops, or, on the other hand, he may alter 
his system to meet the new conditions and produce those commodities 
which will command an unassailable position in the home market. 
This alteration in the system of farming will mean many important 
changes ; more concentrated foods must be grown, e.g. beans and peas, 
and less concentrated foods imported. In this connection the highly 
nutritive quality of young grass and the methods for its utilisation should 
receive more attention ; the growing of hay on a quality basis and the 
adequate use of silage should also be mentioned. 
