1921.] 



England's First Calf Club. 



1089 



The third section of this Keport is an epitome of scientific 

 research in agriculture and is of the happiest augury to the 

 industry. Further chapters deal with local and special investi- 

 gations in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, with the 

 training of agricultural investigators, with Farm Institutes, with 

 schemes for livestock improvement, with rural industries, the 

 reclamation and draining of land, forestry, co-operation in agri- 

 culture, and agricultural development in the past and in the 

 future. The last three chapters are devoted to Fishery Research. 

 Inshore Fisheries, and the construction and improvement of 

 harbours — matters with which the Fisheries Division of the 

 Ministry is actively concerned. 



The Report is a compendium of most varied information and 

 no man engaged in any branch of agriculture can fail to derive 

 advantage from its close perusal Many of the facts dismissed 

 in a few words are of absolutely illuminating quality. What can 

 be more significant to the future of agriculture than the state- 

 ment contained in this one sentence dealing with the work of 

 the Plant Breeding Institute at Cambridge — " Already two 

 varieties (of wheat) raised by the Institute have carried crops of 

 twelve quarters per acre and over without becoming lodged, 

 and there are indications that still better standing types can be 

 obtained." When we consider that the average of production of 

 wheat in this country is not more than four quarters to the acre 

 and that the whole economic problem of the farm and the still 

 larger problem of national food supply are dependent in no small 

 measure upon the wheat return, it will be seen that there may 

 be an opening here for a revolution in farming that will enable 

 the country to reduce its dependency upon foreign sources of 

 supply and the farmer to carry a large and w T ell-paid staff 

 with profit to himself. What this means to the re-popula- 

 tion of rural England and to a proper adjustment between urban 

 and rural areas mav be left with safetv to the dullest imagination. 



In the beginning of last month, Hemyock. in Devonshire, 

 established a Calf Club, the first of its kind in this country. 



En land's ^ ea °* ^ e c ^ comes ^ rom ^ mer ^ ca - 



■p- ^ft^ m u an d its adoption in England is full of 

 First Calf Club. , *_ , . . , ° , TT , 



promise to the dairy industry. Under a 



well-considered scheme, the Club is composed entirely of the 

 sons and daughters of local farmers and the ages of the twenty- 

 one members vary from 14 to 18 years. Each member receives 



