MECHANICAL CULTIVATION.
Page 9
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
What Four fears of War-time has Done for it. What will the Next Four Years Do?
By S. F. Edge.
HAVING BEEN ASKED for my opinion on the above subject, I will try to answer it briefly, although one feels that the subject is so big that it really calls for a book on it to do it justice, and to make clear all the agricultural changes and possibilities which power farming has brought and will bring about First, up to the war, corn growing in this country,
i except n specially favoured districts, was but slowly ins-king headway ; in fact, on our heavy soils it was even declining, owing to the fact that the increasing cost of horses and labour More than offset the improving values for corn. However; the war came and, up to almost the end of 1915, our Government spokesmen told us we need not fear the submarine, and they would do nothing to improve our home-grown food supplies, despite the strong advice of those who urged upon them the necessity for such action.
By the end of 1916, the German submarine had completely confounded the Government's talking gentle men, and Mr.. Lloyd George came into power at a time when our chance of success seemed mostremote and starvation stared our people in the face. The net position was that, during the latter part of 1916 and the early part of 1917, the Germans were sinking a far greater tonnage of ships than was being built, and we were sinking fewer submarines than they were building. This was the state of affairs which, if continued, could only lead to one result for us.
About the time Mr. Lloyd George came into power there also came a Food Controller, a new President of the Board of Agriculture (Mr. Prothero), and the creation of various other departments for conserving and producing food, and at the end of 1916 it was decided that a great increase in home-grown food must take place. Great powers w-ere given to the Food Controller to effect this desirable state of affairs, he being able quite to over-ride the Board of Agriculture. Between them, a good working arrangement was made, the Board of Agriculture to produce food, the Food Controller to control it when produced. It was realized by someone at the Board of Agriculture that horses must be supplemented by power on the farm and it was decided to order some hundreds of a proved American tractor, to man them with Army Service Corps, Motor Transport personnel and, generally, to run the new organization under military control.
As a stranger to political ways and methods, the -whole scheme seemed to me sane and sensible, even though quite belated as to time. In those days, I was not aware that the promises of political gentlemen in power of great deeds to come if accepted by the public, were just the same as fulfilment, so long as the politician aould ride away, and the person who promised receive his honours and depart also However, in 1917, new Government departments arose and new ploughing schemes were put forward by people, quite ignorant of agriculture but full of faith in new agricultural power machinery. So, a great scheme of ploughing up ef land arose, and a huge army of officials grew who were -to plough up some millions of acres of land in our country, and thus to feed the people in 1917. The result from these efforts was meagre in the extreme. Ireland, who really did make a substantial difference to the food supply, did most of it without Government paid assistance, and .a large amount done in England, Scotland and Wales was by the already existing methods. However, the new mechanical department took credit
for it, honours were showered on all Aides and apparently only the farmer knew the humbug of it all.
But it has had one effect that will be to the eventual good of agriculture. Up till then, mechanical farming by small power units owned by the farmer had proceeded slowly despite the efforts of the pioneers, Dan Albone with his Ivel, and Saunderson with his machine, -but, now, many thousands of American tractors have come into the country both on private and Government account and were quickly circulated and demonstrated, and thus the farmer began to find much could be done with less man power than with, horses. Of course, the Government Scheme was a. wasteful one, but, as the farmer got his werk clone cheaply, it did not trouble him Much as the cost was spread over the community, not drawn directly from his pocket. So, in a way, the Government work did introduce .mechanical cultivation to many who would otherwise have known little of it. Personally, I think the following scheme would have been productive of more permanent good and caused much less expense to the country, but ithad the defect of not bringing in its trail honours for individuals, or Government contracts for a few selected firms.
. What I set out here was my considered opinion in April, 1917, and, after over two years, I see plainly that my scheme would have saved our country money and avoided the appointment of a -east horde of parasite officials:—
"The present system in vogue for increasing tillage England and Wales fails for the following reasong, and to 'obtain the maximum tillage, a compulsory tillage scheme must he-introduced. (1) Under present arrangements, the War Agricultural Committees either by the request of an individual farmer, or on their own initiative, decide that certain ploughing shall be done, and the farmer is charged a price per acre, which under present circumstances, is in many cases below whatne wcaild cost. to plough it himself. (This is not genei ally admitted by the farmer.) " (2.) The correct system to adopt to obtain maximum tillage is for the Board of Agriculture definitely to settle haw much extra land is to be put under the plough inEngland and Wales friar 1918 harvest. Having agreed on the percentage of increase, this should be made compulsory on all-occupiers of land. If, for some reason, this presses hardly on an individual -farmer or owner, the farmer to have a right to appeal to some body of people independent of local pressure.. The reasons why a right to appeal ig necessary is that already some farms, in certain parts of the country, are-mainly arable, and it would not be economical to increase their arable. What is required, however. is that the ratio. of arable to pasture must be raised to an agreed minimum if the increase of ploughed laud, decided necessary, is to be obtained. "(3.) Government. assistance to do this plough
ing should only be forthcoming from the urgent demand of the fanner, as it should be an offence if he has not ploughed all theeetipulated amount by the, stipulated time. If he proves that it is impossible to do it, then he might have Government tractors supplied to do the work, but he should be charged for doing it at least 30s. per acre, so that he would suffer a penalty through not having done the work that it is decreed-in the interests of the nation he should -do.
"(4.) The present system is creating a feeling amongst farmers. that they are entitled to wait for Government tractors to -do their work, and this throws a great deal of the onus on the State instead of it 'being shouldered by the individual farmer. State aid should only be the last resort if private enterprise fails, and, even then, 'should penalise the person calling for it and not reward him as at present.
"(5.) The idea of waiting for Government tractors has another bad effect—it is causing the .farmers to stop buying tractors and to rely on Governmentowned tractors to help, instead of helping themselves. A. clear official statement should be published saying that only two or three thousand Government tractors will be available up to August this year, and giving the increase that there will be per month. This number for the autumn ploughing would not do more than 300,000 acres.
"(s.) If this is agreed, farmers should be advised at once to make their own arrangements—be it motor, steam or horse—for ploughing.
"(7.) To encourage farmers to do this and to buy tractors, the Government to advance one-third of their value. This would have a most stimulating effect,and I would recommend that this be done—the amount advanced to be repayable after harvest 1918, and be a first charge on their crops of 1918.
"(8.). If 3,000,000 extra acres are required under the plough, as stated in Parliament the other day, it requires a minimum of 6,000 more tractors to be available between now and the end of October to meet this. I do not consider the Board of Agriculture's requirements will be met by British manufacturers to the extent of more than 2,000 tractors by the end of this year ; in addition at least 4,000 should be irn " (9.) If Clause 7 be accepted, many of theseiwould be imported and sold by private enterprise to the farmers, and thus save the State money.'
It must, however, be agreed that mechanical farming ha S become part of many farmers' lives, and can never be dispensed with ; its position becomes stronger with every rise in wages, which makes horses and their food and attention more and more expensive. In other words, toeday, it is cheaper, in some cases to the extent of one-half the cost, to plough by tractor than by horses, and the work can be done to give much bigger yields of corn. This once being generally accepted (I have proved it), nothing can now stop mechanical farming. Every year will see it increase, particularly with the young farmer who has some mechanical bent.It is, in my opinion, of great importance that the owner should know something about the machinery himself, and not be entirely dependent on his hands; this often spoils the success of power farming, besides which it is not pleasant to be en
tirely dependent on others, and to be unable to check any statement made by an employee. I have absolute faith in the ever-increasing use of power on the farm, but I believe the absorption of some thousands of Government tractors will have a bad effect for some two years on private firms. If, after then, agriculture is still one of our great industries, the future for the agricultural engineer is inamense, as almost all work now done by the horse must be done by mechanical means if the farmer is to sue-. ceed as well-directed enterprise should succeed.
Many of the Government machines now being sold Will prove a sad trial to their buyers as, owing to neglect., missing and misused parts many require i10t) spent on them to restore them to the condition that is desired if pleasure and profit are to he obtained from their use, but much experience will be gained with them and their marvellous capacity for getting on with their work, when going well, must make. it patent to every user that mechanical farming is a commercial necessity, and not merely a passing fancy.
It must not be overlooked that it is quite possible that, in the Very near future, wheat will be grown more cheaply in the United Kingdom than in the United States, Canada, Australia, etc., as, not only have the wages in those countries risen, but freights have also, and their yields to the acre are small, whereas in many parts of our country, particularly on the cheap heavy clay lands, grand crops can be obtained with mechanical cultivation, which by their yield per acre become relatively cheap per bushel of corn.
. Of course, this may be but a passim,'. phase for say 10 or 20 years, as eventually, owing to the cost of white labour everywhere, we may have to depend on the land fringing the Mediterranean Sea for wheat for Europe.
From the foregoing it will be obvious that, in my opinion, the next four years will see a great increase of mechanical farming through financial need, if ccnditions remainas at present, but, maybe, an even greater expansion through an increase in corn growing owing to the fact that freights plus increased wages, coupled with small yields, may easily make corn more cheaply produced here than in our present corn-producing areas abroad.
In this event a boom in British agriculture will take place comparable with the manufacturing booms that have occurred in one or other industry during the last 50 years. The agricultural engineer is in the position of an oil well sinker, and may any day now -tap a gusher.