THE EXTENSION OF PASTURES 5 



the alternate system alluded to in the chapter on ' Temporary 

 Pastures.' The advantages of that system, however, are by no 

 means restricted to soil which is unsuitable for permanent 

 pastures. The practice of the Lancashire and Scotch farmers 

 has abundantly proved that no other method of farming pays 

 so well as laying down the best land in artificial grasses for 

 periods varying from two to four years, instead of simply 

 sowing clover and breaking it up after the first season. 

 Temporary pastures are now recommended for general adop- 

 tion by some of the most enlightened and able agriculturists 

 of the country, and I look forward to the wide extension 

 of this system, not merely as a great means of lessening 

 the labour bill, but also because it will ensure the storage 

 in the soil of a large reserve of grain-producing energy ready 

 for any national emergency, or in the event of such an 

 alteration of public opinion concerning Free Trade as will 

 enable the farmer again to produce the food of the country 

 at a profit. At present the only hope of obtaining a profit 

 from much of our strong land is to grow grass permanently 

 or in rotation, and turn it into meat or milk. For milk alone 

 there is an immense future now that the populations of large 

 towns better understand its value as an article of diet, and 

 the 4 railway companies have organised a service to ensure its 

 speedy delivery in freshness and purity direct to the masses of 

 the people. 1 



Much was anticipated from dairy factories, and some of 

 them are commercially successful, but it does not appear to me 

 that for the majority of farmers the difficulty of distribution 

 will be surmounted in this way. As milk is easily and quickly 



1 As the result of two separate inquiries made for the Royal Statistical Society in 

 1892 and 1904 respectively, it is estimated ' that the average consumption per head of 

 milk — as milk — in the United Kingdom is 15 gallons. It follows (as there are 

 practically no imports of fresh milk) that the demand which British farmers have to 

 meet is now increasing at the rate of some 6,000,000 gallons annually, and it may he 

 reckoned that during the past twenty years the annual consumption of milk has 

 increased by something like 100,000,000 gallons.' — Report of the Board of Agriculture 

 for 1906. 



