that even during the last forty years, according to the statement of Sir
A.D. 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