970 Interim Report on Agriculture. [Jan., 



should be extended so as to enable the Boards of Agriculture 

 or the County Agricultural Committees to take effective action 

 in the Courts or otherwise against any landowner or farmer 

 who refuses or neglects to carry out the Orders issued by them 

 for the better cultivation of the holding. The Commissi' on 

 state that they consider that both the owner and the occupier 

 of land owe the duty to the State of seeing that the holding is 

 cultivated according to the rules of good husbandry, and that 

 no land capable of cultivation should He unproductive or should 

 be imperfectly cultivated. They add that they would not 

 recommend that systems of cropping should be ordered and 

 regulated except in time of national emergency, but that the 

 Boards and the County Committees should be empowered to 

 determine the proportion of each holding which should be 

 devoted to arable farming. 



They further suggest that the guarantees should not be paid 

 except on production of a certificate authorised by the Boards 

 to the effect : — 



{a) that the holding in respect of which payment under 

 the guarantees is claimed has been well cultivated and an 

 adequate amount of labour employed upon it, or that such 

 labour was not available ; and 



(b) that either one- eighth part of the holding, or one- 

 fourth part of the arable land (whichever be the greater; 

 is under cereal crop, or that so much less of the holding is 

 under cereal crop as appears to be desirable in the pubhc 

 interest. 



It will be noticed that, following the principle adopted by 

 the Government in giving guaranteed prices for the present year, 

 a guarantee for barley, as weU as for wheat and oats, is recom- 

 mended. The reason given by the Commission for adding 

 barley is that there is a considerable area of land in Great 

 Britain on which that crop can be grown more economically 

 than any other cereal. 



The Commission recommend that the guarantees should 

 continue in operation until Parliament otherwise decides, 

 subject to four years' notice being given of their withdrawal 

 should that at any time be decided upon. 



The Commission propose to give consideration to other 

 subjects in connection with which assistance might be given 

 to farmers, before they make a Final Report. These subjects 

 include Education, Research and Demonstration ; Drainage ; 

 Transport ; Organisation ; Co-operation ; Amendments of the 



