1920.] 



Farming in Peace and in War. 



1199 



In September, 191 5, in a paper read before the Manchester 

 Meeting of the British Association,* I contrasted the effects 

 which the adoption of different systems of farming had upon 

 the nation's food supply, and from time to time thereafter 

 I urged the importance of breaking up grass land ; but, though 

 a plough policy was widely advocated in the autumn of I9i5» 

 no active steps to secure the ploughing up of grass land were 

 taken. 



In 1 91 6 in a Memorandum on " The Recent Development of 

 German Agriculture "j I contrasted the farming system of 

 Britain and Germany in their effect on food supply, and 

 indicated that our enemy was able to feed about twice as 

 many people per 100 acres as we were, and that this was not 

 due to the larger crops grown in Germany, but to the greater 

 area under tillage. The lessons of this contrast were enforced 

 by the position of our food supplies at the time. 



The year 191 6 was a disastrous one from the standpoint of the 

 Allies' food. The wheat crops of North America and the potato 

 crops of Europe were very poor. It was clear by the autumn of 

 the year that there would be a great shortage of both bread 

 stuffs and potatoes in the following season. Potatoes, indeed, 

 w^ere very scarce as early as November, 1916. 



Immediately after the change of Government in December, 



1 91 6, the new President of the Board of Agriculture (Mr. 

 Prothero) decided to set up a special Department of the Board 

 to promote the interests of food production. In January, 



1 91 7, the Food Production Department started its exsistence 

 at 72, Victoria Street, and the new Agricultural Executive 

 Committees began work in their respective counties. During 

 the month the food outlook grew steadily worse, and public 

 interest in food production was thoroughly aroused. 



Good progress was made by the movement, and even in 

 1 91 7 substantial additions to the area under corn and potatoes 

 in England and Wales were secured. But by the spring of 

 1 91 7 farmers had already, for the most part, settled their 

 cropping for the year, and it was recognised that no great 

 increase in production would be possible until the following 

 season. Attention was, therefore, concentrated on preparations 

 for the harvest of 191 8. 



In the first place, estimates were made of the greatest area 

 which could be got under tillage assimimg aU conditions 

 to be favourable ; a programme for each county was then 



♦ See this Journal, September, 1915, p. 520. 

 t „ „ „ August, 1916, p. 426. 



