Hall, “the productivity of the land of Great Britain as a whole has declined.”  Although a far larger rent might be obtained from the wealthy who use a great part of Scotland for shooting than could be obtained from crofters, national welfare demands that it should be used for crofts and to raise the population which has supplied our armies with many of the finest soldiers and the whole Empire with many of its best colonists.  Of course, there are large tracts of such a character that people cannot support themselves in tolerable comfort by tilling them, and it is better that land of that kind should be used for sheep if possible, and, in cases where even this is impossible, for deer forests or grouse moors, subject to reasonable public rights of access.

Among the measures which may be taken to increase the home production of food the following may be mentioned:—­

1.—­Improved farming or intensification of agriculture under the existing system. It is admitted that English, and perhaps still more Scottish, farming at its best is admirably conducted.  Fortunately, very many of the large landowners are themselves keenly interested in agriculture and take a pride in promoting it.  It is perhaps not generally known what a useful and valuable trade the country carries on in the export of pedigree stock.  The prices obtained for the best bred British bulls, rams and boars are very high.  An extension over all suitable parts of the country of the highest type of British farming would add to the wealth of the country immensely.

Connected with this subject is the promotion of agricultural education, and along with that of agricultural research.  Very great advances have been made of recent years, and it would be an utterly false economy to starve productive work of this kind.  It ought to be held a disgrace for a country landowner not to have some knowledge of agriculture and interest in it.

2.—­Industrialised farms, i.e., the organisation of large farms to be managed as business enterprises under the control of a general manager.  If farming was thus carried on on a large scale machinery would be employed to its full advantage, and there would be economy in buying and selling wholesale and avoiding waste in preparing for and placing commodities on the market.  The most highly trained, skilled and energetic management would be obtained for farms of this kind.  It is to be noticed that, although some commodities can equally well be produced by small culture, it is generally only on a large scale that cereals can be profitably cultivated.

3.—­Co-operative farming.—­The subject is one of special interest, as co-operative farming in some form was historically the basis of the whole system of society in many countries.  Experiments in co-operative farming may be tried with advantage.  They may take various forms.  It will, no doubt, be found that in certain branches of farming, such as dairy farming in some districts, co-operative action is almost necessary to success.  The experience of Denmark has shown how much can be done to keep up a definite standard in butter, for example, by sending milk to some large, well-equipped and well-managed dairy.  Such establishments have also far better opportunities for dealing with transport and distribution.