The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-04

lects Oh the WAT Will De seen III q 6ASdl
revival OF agricultural life in England
and the United Kingdom. The out
break of the conflict caught the Brit
ish Isles dependent on foreign com
merce for four-fifths of their food sup
ply, barring meat, of which between
so and 70 per cent is produced al
home.
The motto of few years ago, Back
to the Land. thus has given way to
the slogan. England must feed her
self" Lord Selborne, the leader OF
the crusade declares hat the attain
ment of his object is the country's
sacred duty, and he emphasizes the
point that the farmer can do as much
for the country as the soldier in the
trenches.
Plans for the great reform include
number of important measures that
are to be put into effect at the earliest
possible moment. They include the
following:
/. The repopulation of the rural
districts and afforestation. The War
Office has just consented to the ex-
change of many of the older men who
in the earlier days of the war left farm
work for the firing line for men be-
tween 19 and 80 to take their places
at the front. This exchange will be-
gin Immediately.
2. The setting aside of thousands
of acres for the settlement on the
cooperative plan of England's sold
iers and sailors after the war. This
expediency is provided for by the
Smallholding Colonies Act, now half
way through Parliament. The
scheme will provide for model vii
lagos, better housing, with garden
to every cottage, reading rooms, libra
ries and good schools. Conceived by
Lord Selborne, the ideo has. aroused
so much enthusiasm that a wide de
mand has been made for increasing
the land to be devoted to 1t by almost
as much again as is specified in the
bill.
8. The importation of natives from
South Africa for agriculture labor
during the remainder of the war
though so many objections have beer
raised to this that there is little like
lihood of its being adopted.
It is believed that the plan TO
bringing back soldiers from the from
will have the effect of providing stuff
cient farm labor practically imme
diately. In announcing the War o.
fees consent to the transfers, an 81
pert told the Agricultural Society tina
in England and Scotland, as well as i
Ireland, the farms in many district
had fallen far below their minimum
needs in the mater of labor.
The tendency to regard more 81
riously the country's capacity fo
growing larger crops is illustrated
the figures of the wheat, barley an
ats crops in England and Wale
Wheat and oats were grown in large
quantities, though the barley cror
were much smaller There were 6
489,939 acres devoted to the three c.
reals in England and Wales in 191
an increase of 248,044 acres as con
pared with 1914. The greatest ii
crease in acreage was devoted
wheat, or 2,170,170 acres in all, th
figure representing an increase of SO;
672 acres go per cent?, greater tina
in 1914. and 20 per cent greater tina
during any Of the years between 19(
and 1916. Every country returned Il
creased areas, the total for Wales ,
1923 acres (S1 per cent? being ii
greatest
The returns for 1915 give 2,08S,0.
acres under oats, an increase of Isl
421 acres as compared with 1914, b
only 24,S69 acres above the averat
for the past ten years. The whole
this increase was in England. TT
reduction of the areas under barlt
amounted to 15S.421. the total acr
age OF 1921, 722 being the lowest y
recorded.
Perhaps to no individual as mu'
as to the Earl of Selborne is due Il
credit of bringing home to the pc
pie of all classes the Importance
taking prompt means of making Il
country more nearly self-supporting
food-stuffs. In all of his address
in recent years he has laid stress
the point. A practical farmer and G
thuiast on his large and fertile ira