M.— AGRICULTURE 251 



a properly conducted survey carried out over the whole country and on 

 a uniform plan. Map also the type or class of all the rough grazings and 

 permanent grass (in a manner broadly similar to the survey of Wales 

 recently undertaken by my department), and map the ploughability of 

 the several fields : then, and only then, should we know where we stand. 

 To conduct such a survey would be a relatively simple matter. To my 

 mind, until such a survey is put in hand, and the lessons of the same- 

 cruel and bitter the lessons will be — duly digested, there is little hope that 

 the country at large will realise either the deplorable condition of our 

 acres or their immense potentialities. The first necessity from all points 

 of view — that of the statesman, the townsman, farmer and countryman, 

 in short, that of the nation — is literally and in fact to put rural Britain 

 on the map. 



Only when rural Britain is on the map shall we be able amongst other 

 matters to decide where in the national interest it is desirable to extend 

 arable farming, and where ley-farming, and where it may be necessary 

 or permissible to tolerate nondescript and permanent grass farming. 



Having discussed systems of farming and levelled certain well-founded 

 criticisms against nondescript and permanent grass farming, I am now 

 in a position to unloose a whole barrage of criticism against permanent 

 grass as such : and note this, the case for ley-farming is implicit in almost 

 every word of just criticism that can be levelled against permanent 

 grass. 



My criticisms of permanent grass are general and particular ; here 

 are my general criticisms. The psychological influences of permanent 

 grass go much further than I have already indicated ; of course there are 

 clever managers of permanent grass, but I doubt if even the best 

 practitioners are on a par with the most proficient arable and ley farmers ; 

 while speaking generally, the standard of management of permanent 

 grass, I should say, stands to the management of arable land, taking the 

 country as a whole, as certainly not more than 60 (and probably hardly 

 as much as 40) to 100. Leys as long as they continue to be managed as 

 such are almost invariably managed better than permanent grass ; they 

 are both easier to manage properly and the inducement so to manage 

 them is greater. 



My next general criticism is that of the veterinarians who are telling 

 us with a voice that becomes daily louder and more united that permanent 

 grass harbours many of the organisms of disease. 



My next, because as I have already said an enormous proportion of our 

 permanent grass is in urgent need of lime, a need that becomes ever more 

 serious in view on the one hand of extended milk production, and on the 

 other of the movement in the direction of rearing and slaughtering 

 increasing numbers of young animals. There is only one correct and 

 entirely satisfactory way to apply lime, and that is under the plough, and 

 I think this fact alone is sufficient to condemn not thousands, but at the 

 very least three million acres of ploughable permanent grass, mostly 

 quondam arable, in England ; in Wales to my own certain knowledge it 

 is enough to condemn something over 700,000 acres. 



My last general criticism of permanent grass is that good young grass 

 properly conserved can be made of immense value to help out the winter 



