784 Agriculture Abroad. [Nov., 



as he has not land enough to produce the more cheaply raised 

 foods, such as hay, corn and green fodder. The larger farmer 

 must spend relatively more money than the smaller for labour, 

 fertilisers and marketing, but the costs for food are less. 



One great source of profit is double cropping. The import- 

 ance of having continuous cropping cannot be over emphasised. 

 Many market-garden products reach maturity in less than a 

 season. If it is not possible to follow or precede a short-grow- 

 ing crop with another market-garden crop, a winter cover crop 

 or summer legume should be sown to be ploughed in for the 

 improvement of the soil. Inter-cropping is also advantageous. 



Two-fifths of the farms inspected had less than half their 

 area in crops, the remainder being woodland, scrub and a 

 negligible part in pasture. The half of the farms in crop had 

 to pay interest and taxes on the non-productive part. As the 

 tillage area decreased in proportion to the total farm area, the 

 business became smaller, and in addition was burdened increas- 

 ingly with idle capital. 



When all the farms having 30 acres and under of tillable 

 land are classified into two groups, (a) those in which the till- 

 able area is 60 per cent, and less of the farm area, and (b) those 

 in which it is over 60 per cent, of the farm area, it is found 

 that the former group returned an average income of about 

 £15, and the latter an average of £93. The disadvantage of 

 leaving waste land idle is thus obvious. 



The occupiers of the farms under consideration require a 

 relatively small amount of capital. The farm income of the 

 tenants was less than that of the owners, but if the net interest 

 of the capital invested be deducted, the net income is about the 

 same for both groups. The prospective farmer with the 

 necessary experience but with little capital can do better by 

 renting than by buying until he can afford to get a farm of 

 sufficient size for profitable cultivation. 



