1204 



Farming in Peace and in War. 



[mar., 



are less than 47 million acres of cultivated land available 

 altogether. So that the task of finding 43 millions for the 

 purpose would clearly be impossible. 



But let us examine a more practical question. Assuming 

 that the United Kingdom were engaged in another great war, 

 that stocks in hand and imports could supply bread-stuffs 

 until after the second war harvest and that, profiting by the 

 experience of 1 914-18, immediate steps were taken to increase 

 production, could the country be starved into surrender ? 

 There may never again be such a war as that which we have 

 experienced, and if there were we cannot predict what size of 

 population the soil would be called upon to support ; but the 

 answer is still worth attempting while the experience of 1918 

 is fresh in our memories. 



To provide the minimum rations of bread that would be 

 required to maintain the present population of the United 

 Kingdom in health, and in addition to provide small rations 

 of grain for farm horses, cows and other essential live stock, 

 it would be necessary to grow about 14 million acres of corn 

 The approximate cropping of this area would be : — 

 5,000,000 acres of wheat ") 



2,500,000 barley > for human bread-stuffs, meal, etc. 



In the year 191 8 Ireland grew 1,933,000 acres of corn In 

 any future war, as in 1 914-18, the live-stock and potato 

 industries would be likely to receive closest attention, we 

 might put the Irish contribution to the total grain area 

 at 2,000,000 acres. It would thus be necessary to secure 

 12,000,000 acres within Great Britain. The actual area grown 

 in 1918 was: England and Wales, 7,080,000 acres, ; Scotland, 

 1,370,000 acres ; or 8,450,000 acres in all. This would leave 

 the authorities the formidable, but, in my judgment, by no 

 means impossible, task of securing in the second season after 

 the outbreak of hostiUties 3 J milhon acres more corn than 

 Great Britain grew in 1918. 



3,000,000 

 3,000,000 

 500,000 



oats 

 oats . 

 barley 



for live stock. 



for brewing or munitions. 



