380 



Arable Dairy Farms. 



[July, 



In this Journal for April last (p. 5), brief particulars were 

 given of the origin and constitution of the Institute. It was 

 founded in 1905 to study the conditions of the world's agricul- 

 ture, to collect and disseminate information on economic and 

 technical agricultairal questions, and generally to aid agricul- 

 ture throughout the world. The best known feature of the 

 Institute's work, however, is the preparation of monthly 

 reports of the estimated world production of crops and available 

 supplies. These are published very widely and appear in the 

 newspapers of practically every civilised country. In addition 

 to these statistics, the Institute issues a bulletin summarising 

 the information given in technical publications throughout the 

 world in regard to agricultural investigations, plant diseases,. 

 &c., and also a bulletin dealing with the economic side of 

 agriculture.* 



Arable dairy farms, established by the Ministry for experi- 

 mental purposes, have suffered from conditions that are part 

 Arable Dairy aftermath of war. It will be 



Farms: Restricted ^'"^^^^^^/^V^^ f ^f^^^^f 



p was made the subject oi prolonged and 



satisfactory experiment at the Harper, 

 Adams College, Newport, Shropshire, and that the theory these 

 experiments may be said to have supported is, in brief, that 

 continuous cropping and soiling enable a farmer to keep a- 

 cow in the best possible condition on the produce of two acres 

 or less. On the ideal arable dairy farm the land is under 

 crops — chiefly forage crops — all the time. The cows do not 

 graze, but are turned out every day for brief exercise. 



When it was proposed to test the economic possibilities of 

 arable dairy farming, arrangements were made for the estab- 

 lishment of ten demonstration holdings, and a commencement 

 was made at nine centres, seven in England and two in Wales. 

 Unfortunately, the cost of building increased enormously soon 

 after the inception of the scheme; the construction of necessary 

 accommodation was delayed, and ultimately, building prices 

 increased to a point that removed the economic basis from 

 certain of the undertakings. This will be readily understood 

 when it is remembered that an arable dairy holding should 

 carry at least twice the head of stock of a pasture holding and 

 that the homestead must be proportionately larger. Following 



* The chief publications of the Institute may be obtained from the 

 Ministry. Particulars of subscription rates will be sent on application. 



