BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 10

BRITAIN'S FOOD SUPPLY

SIR CHARLES BATHURST INTERVIEWED

PIGS AND POTATOES

"It hns now become absolutely essential, if wo aiu to avoid u. i'nmiuc next winter ami thereafter, to make the country as far us possible self-contained in tiie supplies of its essential foods." Captain Sir Charles Bathurst, M.P chairman of tlio Sugar Commission and one of tlio foremost authorities on agriculture, who made this definite statement (to a London "Observer" representative) iu an interview with a representative of (lie "Observer," explained what may be done to substitute, or, ut any rate, to supplement our present supplier,, which have become dangerously short ot meat and cereal grain, by getting all classes of our agricultural population to concentrate their activities upon pigs aiul pot-aloes, two forms of most valuable food which can be produced and rcoroduced more rapidly than any other. * The present position so far as bread-" stnfls is concerned," Sir Charles Batlinret began by saying, "is somewhat improved owing to the exceptional 'efforts on the. part of the United States Government in rendering available for our needs all the cereal grain which they can spare, oven at the cost of considerable seif-sacrifice to the American consumer. J hero is, however, no certain prospect of any material or permanent improvement in the position of breadstuffs owin»- to tho extreme and still growing shortage of merchant shipping; , and, if there should happen to be a bad corn harvest on the North American continent, i.ot to mention our own country, the position might become very serious, unless we can ■nnd an effective substitute for cereal grain.

"As regards meat there was a world shortage before the war. This shortage has been greatly accontuated by war conditions (owing to the necessarily largo consumption of meat by the fightiig men of many countries, some of whom consumed % little or none in pre-war days) and is becoming steadily worse. Whatever may happen, therefore, with regard to breadstuffs, it is certain that, war or no war, there will be a considerable scarcity of meat for the α-ecjiiiremonts of our home population for several years to come. Act Which Pi-evented Meat Famine. "Fortunately, whereas (ho United King, dom imported before tho war no less than four-h'ftiis of the breadstuffs required for her population, her home-raised head of .farm animals, cattle, especially, has been steadily rising for the last. 20 years onion-,r■nion-, so that on (he outbreak ot war she was in the position of meeting tho requirements of her population in the matter of meat supplies to the extent of 65 per cent. n "This wife largely due to the passage in 18116 of the Diseases of Animals Act, and the wise administration of tho Board 'of Agriculture, which prevented the importation from abroad of seriously contagious animal diseases, and gave a feeling of security lo stockowners which they did not previously enjoy. This Act has been mainly responsible, for avoiding a meat famine during tlic war, and it will be nothing less than a. calamity if, under pressure from or the United States, where contagions animal disease is always to some extent prevalent, it were to be repealed. "Another factor which materially affects the world production of all kinds of food is the withdrawal for military requirements of several million men from agricultural employment and the devastation by war of some of the most intensively cultivated arjas in the world. "it has become, therefore, absolutely essential for us, if we are to avoid i'araino next winter and thereafter, not only to make this country as far as possible self-contained in the matter of its supplies of essential foods, but, regardless of previous agricultural practice, to concentrate our attention upon 'hose foods which can be produced and reproduced most rapidly and in largest bulk in our own climate. "Play for Safety." "In making our selection it is eminontly desirable that we should 'play for safety,' and in this connection espec.aily provide against the contingency ol a disastrously wet corn harvest. "We. must'also bear in mind that our ordinary farm stock, cattle, and sheep, do not rapidly reproduce themselves, and do not yield any large proportion of fat, especially in the absence- of cattle-cake and other concentrated foodstuffs, which are now so scarce And it must be remembered that fat is, from an energy point of view (reckoned in calories), far the most valuable of all foods, and has unfortunately during the past few months been the scarcest in this country, resulting in an undue drain upon our supplies of breadstuffs.'

Potatoes and Pigs, "These considerations point to potatoes and pigs as being, with the possible exception of milk, tins two products of the countryside upon which tjio activities of all classes of our agricultural population should be mainly concentrated and their production pushed forward as a, matter of grave national urgency. In. tho promotion, and ... once, of this emergency food enterprise not merely war agricultural executive committees, but alio local food committee*, parish councils, landowners, and ministers of religion should take an active part. "No nation can starve which grows eAough potatoes. Chemically and physiologically they are the nearest approach to the wheaten !oaf, and can, without liny risk to human lioalth and efficiency, be incorporated in it to tho extent of at least 25 per cent, or substituted for it in . the form of potato cakes. "Moreover, they can bo grown and harvested in large hulk within four or fve months after planting; (hey can be effectively protected against the ill-effects of a wet Season by spraying with Bordeaux broth (obtainable from the Board of Agriculture); and they can bo stored for future use without loss or dotriment for several months aflor lifting. "Germany has always recognised the importance of potatoes as a substitute for corn-bread as well as a source of spirit for industrial requirements. Before Iho war sho devoted no Jess than one-tenth of her arable area to this crop, and this she lia.s since largely increased, until now no less than one-third of the whole of the food of her civilian population consists of potatoes. "The amount of food yielded by on acre of potatoes, is at.least twice that furnished per acre by any corn crop. The 2,000,00fl tons of potatoes into bread Hour is being provided by the .Ministry of Food, and will operate mainly in Lincolnshire, which produces on intensive lines far more potatoes than any other country, The greater availability of potato meal and potato Hour fur the loaf will enable some portion of the less digestible by-products of milling, so much wanted for feeding the pig.;, to be released from the loal for this purpose."