OCTOBEK 8, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



481 



area which may be termed manageable and 

 about which one might expect to generalize 

 without much difficulty. But, in fact, gen- 

 eralization 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 possibility of making any gen- 

 eral statement without elaborate qualifica- 

 tions. 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 groups, 

 corn-growing, grazing and dairying. They 

 overlap and intermingle indefinitely, and 

 there are other important groups, such 

 as fruit-growing, vegetable-growing, hop- 

 growing, etc., 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 excep- 

 tional 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 mar- 

 ket for their crops and made substantial 

 profits. Farmers who depended mainly on 

 stock were less generally fortunate, al- 

 though 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 substantially, and 



a good demand for wool — which in one or 

 two cases touched 2 s 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 remu- 

 nerative level. The large demands on im- 

 ported supplies of meat for the British and 

 French armies occasioned a distinct short- 

 age 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 ex- 

 pected. 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 con- 

 sumption of meat, there is no evidence of a 

 reduced consumption of bread. 



Dairy farmers generally found them- 

 selves in difficulties. Prices of butter and 

 cheese increased but slightly, and milk re- 

 mained for a considerable period almost 

 unchanged. The rise in the prices of feed- 

 ing-stuffs and the loss of milkers aggra- 

 vated 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 pro- 

 ducing 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 1.3 d per gallon of milk. Later the 

 prices of milk, butter and cheese rose, but 

 on the whole it can not 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 pecuni- 

 ary gain to agriculture has been. It can only 

 be said generally that while some have made 

 substantial profits, which were probably in 

 very few cases excessive, many others have 



