THE EFFECTIVE USE OF LAND AS SHOWN BY YIELD 13 
The competition of the cheap grains imported from America during 
the last 50 years has been one of the prime factors in causing a reduc- 
tion of area in both grains and root crops. The heavy contraction of 
the area in roots and green crops is significant in that it is recognized 
as one of the most important bases in maintaining a high livestock 
carrying capacity and a high level of productivity per acre (4, p. 
26). Acre-yields during recent years have been ‘maintained partly 
by virtue of the fact that some of the less productive lands went 
back into grass and also through a wider use of pure seed. 
TABLE 3.—Wheat: Five-year moving average of yield per acre, various European 
countries, 1880-1923 
ig Den-| Ger- | Rus-| H ant ee 
an en-| Ger- | Rus- un- and ,| Den-| Ger- | Rus- |} Hun- 
Year and |P France| mark many| sia | gary |} Mere and |#rance mark|many| sia | gary 
Wales Wales | 
| | 
Bush.| Bush. | Bush.| Bush.| Bush.| Bush. Bush.| Bush. | Bush. Bush Bush Bush. 
ASSO wee eee |e TGS 20 |e As Ge An | eee et | eS 190232 — = _-| 29.6 | 19.8 | 40.8] 28.1| 9.7] 17.6 
ISS8t-s 2 35-69) See v3 TOR) By BASE | oF pe 100324 sees 30.5 | 20.2} 40.4] 28.2) 9.9] 17.9 
UPA ae Reo | aie oie 6 A) BBs Ol ikeb te) | Bees Sean 1904 ee eee 31.01 20.5 | 42.61 29.6] 10.0] 19.3 
aRstos yp ele S| ae es TS PIR S34 4s e920 ese eee LOOSES ESSE? 31.3 | 21.2 | 42.3) 29.4) 9.4 18.2 
TSA ee age al | ese ad Al ead On| AO. Sul ements ae 1906227232 Sle fal) 2056) 425 1295 5) | Oak 17.9 
(SSheeenn eee eS lee eO ulna 20NOnmneon oLO.op | LOO ter ea=— = By 22) |) 44-3 Ie29- dale woes 17.5 
1886s es P29SGR lash td eOs| 2OLor bea. | Eon] O08! - = = bE} 32:67) 920: 2) 4159) 18295951 ONG) Silas 
188 pees OBE BA 7B) Breit BOE tee CON US eee eee 3224: |) 6 2052))°45.0; 530: Ob. 9) an | alia 
1SSSaee ee ZONA aaa poo. SkiecOraeleed-ne |, LAG l 910222228 31.4} 19.6 | 43.8] 30.8] 10.0] 18.4 
188952 Se ORS a eel cin esos lap POFS ek (oul) 18.3) TOU ef. 31..2)|. 19.7, | 4522.) 31.9) | 1029) |) 138 
1890 ere Dowie alee Oo alec0son ewe bolas. |lt LUZ onn ee SIO: tOs Oub4on2: | diet ekOsonemelsae 
TROM es ae QSe Gale liveness: Ie p20 nee edse iy lee Sell VOlS 82 2=sel Sa 2 19 DsPAZ SSI. hel OSA eels. 
TEG2E RSs 28.8 | 17.6 | 37.8) 21.6) 8.0] 18.9 [| 1914.___-_-| 30.4] 18.4 | 43.9 | 30.8 |;11. 0 [______ 
1893 ____- Dia iin | TOOT | 2ladalt Ss on] elo yl al) LOloL == oe 30/64) A16/9)|24259)| 28: 6) | 22. See 
1894___ PES LN Ah 1 BOG |) 9248 || G3 eas) Tt aR ee SI Oule U75 1s | 418901265 Gr |e sac eens 
PROS Res Oe SN Or el Oe eA OLAa eae |e Ole IO el Oligne amet Over bs Lose) (42° 51 |icanr de feeneee| meee 
1SOG SES en ES Osi LOWER SS: Ol le2oOnl mse Sulidds 4) OLS! = ee ZO (eal awlide3 0) AeA) |e aS) | eee nee 
TBO fee Sie LON GAO 2 JANG S44 |e elon L019. eee Se 185 5n| 4352p 240; | a= = eee 
NEBR coe scl GIO On| Wa oe OF oe 7/n | ey aaa a Sluis 1 956) | PAaa4 ADA) |e fe 
SOQ Ren Onl ORO essa eps 45| = 1GxOneelous || 192te25. -o STSOr iy LONG a Aa 24a Oe oe | eee 
19002 52-2 BU AE PRE Ibs 2 Wy file le if aye oe Be a) il OLDS | AB |) Py) ye I 
190 ee = 30. 9 Z0NASIEAN O27 AO lO Ol al 8.0) 192asee sane | oera le 2) sOnl) 43.0) oleae een | tf ates 
In Germany wheat yields rose from an average of 19.4 bushels 
per acre during 1878-1882 to a level comparable to that in England 
in the period immediately preceding the World War, and in France 
during the same series of years wheat yields rose from 16 bushels 
to a level of 20 bushels per acre. In Denmark on a comparatively 
small area wheat yields rose from 31 bushels to over 40 bushels per 
sere.” 
As a result of war-time effects, yields declined in both France and 
Germany. In the former, recovery to the pre-war level has already 
taken place. In the case of Germany where wheat yields dropped 
about 8 bushels below the pre-war level, largely as a result of the 
enforced decrease in the use of chemical fertilizers, yields are now 
again on an upward trend.. 
MAINTENANCE OF LIVESTOCK 
An important factor in the increasing productivity per acre dur- 
ing the past 50 years in Denmark, Germany, and Great Britain was 
the maintenance on the land of a large or increasing number of live- 
stock. At the beginning of this period Great Britain was already 
7See Appendix, Table VI, for actual annual yield. 
