The Home Production of Food
The Ministry of Agriculture under the experienced hand of Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith is fully alive to the need for intensive production of home-grown food from now on. Much that under ordinary conditions could not be econo- mically grown on the land must now be produced under encouragement, financial and otherwise, from the Govern- ment. Farmers have been set the task of bringing an addi- tional i,5oo,000 acres, or about ro per cent. of existing grass-land, under the plough, and of growing more cereals and animal feeding-stuffs to take the place of imported food. The farmers, of course, could not afford to do this without assistance, and have been promised grants of L2 an acre for land satisfactorily ploughed, and prices for the crops which will ensure them a reasonable return. Cattle, sheep and pigs also will be bought by the Ministry of Food at fixed prices, and farmers are to be encouraged to increase their flocks of sheep. One need has to be set against another, and each tract of land should be used for the purpose for which it is best suited. But the County Agricultural Committees and the local committees acting under them will be at hand to give advice and explain what the Government can do. All the food that can be produced here is so much saving in shipping and foreign exchange. One matter that is at present grossly neglected is the over-running of land with omnivorous rabbits. There are millions of rabbits which are now pests, and might be food.
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