AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Southland Times, Issue 1205, 4 February 1870, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF GREAT BRITAIN.

At a meeting of one of the North British Farmer's Clubs a farmer of high reputation, Mr J. Hope, read a paper on the Development of the AgrictjiiTtjbal Resources of G-seat Britain, of which the following is a summary. The population of the United Kingdom is 31£ millions. At the present rate of increase the numbers will be doubled. "With the exception of Belgium, the inhabitants are more densely packed in England than elsewhere — 373 persons on a square mile. Unlike America there are no Western States to move to. Superficially no more can be made of the little island. It is only by the application of the principles of science — mechanical and chemical — that the yield can be increased. The wheat consumption of the population this writer estimates to be 27 million quarters. The Board of Trade returns show the following produce for the United Kingdom i— England : 3,396,890 acres of wheat ; 1,280,210 of barley ; 1,488,470 of oats. Wales : 130,552 acres of wheat; 151,608 of barley; 257,153 of oats. Scotland : 124,683 acres of wheat ; 219,515 of barley: 1,011,430 of oats. Ireland: 286,790 acres of wheat; 188,252 of barley ; and 1,699,919 of oats. In 1868 the British Isles, at the rate of 3j quarters an acre, produced about 14

million quarters of corn. The amount of wheat imported the same year was a little over 8 million of quarters — a proportion of rye, oats, and barley being consumed as human food. Bearing in mind the relation of these figures, it must be clear that all increase by good farming to the productive powers of the country is to credit or profit side of the couatry's account ; all land farmed under its productive power for want of capital, j knowledge, industry, energy, &c, is to the debtor or losing side. Of meat the annual ■ consumption needed is 15,000,000 sheep, 2,500,000 oxen, 300,000 calves, and 300,000 pigs. The cattle imported number. — cattle of all kinds, 124,731 ; sheep and lambs, 786,394 ; swine, 29,304. The number of live stock in the United Kingdom is thus set down : cows, 3,625,137 ; other kinds, 5,458,276 ; sheep and lambs, 35,607,812 ; pigs, 3,189,167— j the latter the only section which has ' decreased since 1867. In this decrease the effect of the law of supply and demand is very perceptible. " The high price of pigs and sheep in 1866 had the effect of increasing the number in 1867, and the very large decrease in pigs in 1868 was caused by the high price of food "—that is to say, pig food. The balance is kept without Legislative interference. The total area of the United Kingdom is 77,5 13,000 acres. Of these, 22,164,584 are under perm ament pasture, aodll, 659,855 under corn crops, and 2,7B2,l3lunderturnips,mangolds,&c. The total acreage under crops is 45,652,545, which leaves a balance of 32,000,000 acres of untilled land. Vast quantities of oats, barley, maize, peas, beans, millet, lentils, linseed and cotton cakes are imported for food, and, indirectly, as manures, together with immense weights of fertilisers.