British Farmers and War Effort

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 71, Issue 1, 16 July 1945, Page 1

British Farmers and War Effort

THE author of this article, Mr. G. A. Holmes, 1 was leader of the group of New Zealand agriculturists loaned to the British Government to assist agricultural production in Great Britain during the war. He comments interestingly on the British farmers’ wartime production effort.

WHEN Britain stood alone after the collapse of France in June, 1940, with Europe and a large part of North Africa, occupied by the enemy, her shipping appeared an uncertain lifeline, menaced both from the air and from beneath the sea.’ Yet on this she depended Tor her imports of food, raw materials, and munitions. The strategy first of a defensive struggle, and then of widely extended and mounting offensive operations, was at all times viewed in relation to the availability of shipping. Agricultural policy was formulated so as to produce at home the maximum volume of food for direct human consumption.

, By 1943 the increased production from the land, coupled with the rationing system, had made it possible to reduce imports of food by 50 per cent. Nearly 7 million acres of old grassland had been ploughed up for grain, potatoes, sugar beet, flax, and vegetables, while additional forage crops had to be grown to offset the sharp curtailment in imports of animal feeding-stuffs.

Under the Defence Regulations sweeping powers were vested in the Minister of Agriculture authorising, him to give directions as to the use of land, its cultivation and management, and in all matters incidental to such operations. These powers were delegated to County War Agricultural Executive Committees, comprised mainly of practical farmers with lengthy experience of local conditions, who gave their time voluntarily in the national interest. Their policy throughout was to secure the willing co-operation of the farmer, and there were relatively few cases where prosecution or. dispossession became necessary.

In some counties the task of securing the ploughing quota must have appeared in 1939 as a most formidable one. A great deal of the land had been , allowed to become almost derelict, and had reverted to. a tough, matted turf of fine-leaved fescue and weeds dotted with thorn bushes or clumps of blackberry. Hedges were overgrown, encroaching a chain or more into the fields. Many fields were useless for cultivation until the ditches had been cleared and re-dug. Many farmers had “kept cows” by running them on this poor grassland, and feeding them

heavily on purchased concentrates; they had neither a tractor nor a plough, nor sufficient area to warrant the purchase of either.. On such holdings the War Committees were obliged to do all the cultivation, and perhaps the harvesting also, by contract. The low value of the old grassland is perhaps best indicated by the fact that, in spite, of the ploughing up of more than one third of it, the numbers of cattle have actually been increased, as also has the production of milk.

Grain Crops

The area in wheat in 1943 was nearly 3J million acres, more than double the average of the three years prior to 1939, and the highest recorded since the “Golden Age or British farming in the early seventies of last century. The total acreage sown to grain reached more than 9 2 million acres, the highest figure ever recorded. Barley is frequently grown following wheat, and is the most profitable grain crop on the light, sweet land overlying chalk. Oats is the only suitable cereal for a great deal of the cooler and wetter country of Wales, the North of England, and Scotland. Ryecorn, although never popular with British people as an ingredient of bread, provided a means of extending the cereal acreage by utilising sand or clay soils too acid

for wheat.

This remarkable expansion in graingrowing was achieved only by surmounting many difficulties in . the supply of tractors, ploughs, drills, and other implements, harvesting machinery, and threshing mills. Fertilisers were rationed, although on a reasonably liberal basis; corn sacks were used time after time; binder twine was for a time critically short. The farmers were assisted by schoolboys and volunteers from the towns, but such workers, although willing— enthusiasticwere useful only for jobs requiring comparatively little' skill. As header harvesters are in use only on the larger farms in the drier districts, most of the crops had to be stacked and the stacks thatched. It will be realised, therefore, that skilled labour at harvest time was essential. Added to all this, harvesting is made more difficult in many parts of Britain by broken weather, which seems to be the rule rather than the exception in the autumn months. Potatoes The area planted in potatoes in 1944 was nearly lj million acres, more than double the 1939 figure and the highest in the country’s history. Wherever the land was at all suitable each farmer was directed to grow a certain acreage, and naturally this crop, with its heavy labour requirement, was not always popular. The grower received a subsidy at the rate of £lO per acre, which might be considered either as an insurance against loss of crop, or as meeting part of the rather heavy cost of “seed” potatoes. He was also assured of a market for the whole of his crop of table potatoes, which were purchased by the Ministry of Food at fixed prices varying according to variety, district, soil, and time of delivery. Potatoes were one of the few foods which were unrationed and in unrestricted supply.

They were retailed at fixed prices showing a loss to the Ministry, and the demand was stimulated by advertising. As a result the consumption rose to nearly twice the pre-war quantity, and in 1943 was estimated at sJlb. per person each week. Milk Production Milk for -town supply was often referred to as “Priority Food No. 1,” and every encouragement was given to increase production, especially in the winter months. This campaign has achieved a good deal of success in spite of the ploughing-up policy and the shortage of concentrates, on which in pre-war years dairy-farmers relied so largely. The industry, which is the stand-by particularly of the smallholder, has been placed on a very satisfactory price basis by the operation of the Milk Marketing Board. Herd averages are being improved by better breeding and better feeding, while new methods for control of disease are meeting with marked success. Apart from labour difficulties, and the general tendency of costs to rise in time of war, the dairying industry may look back on the ( war years as marking the commencement of an era of prosperity. The plough-ing-up campaign will prove a blessing in disguise 'if it educates the dairyfarmer to the value of grass when young, vigorous, and properly managed, whether for grazing, ensilage, or hay. Livestock Except in the hill country, sheep flocks have been drastically reduced or even dispersed. The total sheep population has declined by more than one third, and is now at the lowest figure since accurate statistics were first collected. It may be expected that, as arable land is gradually laid down to grass again, there will be some recovery from the present low

point of the sheep industry. But conditions in Britain are such as to make it unlikely that the home production of lamb could become seriously competitive with imports from New Zealand. ' Some 80 per cent, of the farms are too small to run a sheep flock, even if they were equipped to do so. A great deal of the pre-war arable land is neither fenced nor watered, and to use it for sheep involves the costly system of erecting hurdles, moving them daily, and carting water to the flock. It is unusual to see a really efficient set of drafting yards, or a modern sheep dip, while not a farm in Britain boasts a shearing shed specially designed for the purpose. Pigs and poultry, which were fed so largely on imported grain, have also declined in numbers by nearly 60 per cent. Their recovery could be very rapid if cheap grain could be procured, but the present world position does not seem encouraging in this direction. The Future In view of the many uncertainties, it would be of no value to attempt a forecast of the future of British agriculture over a lengthy period. Last year. the Government agreed to guarantee prices for meat and milk for four years ahead, so that the immediate future of these two products is assured. British farmers have had their full share of toil and anxiety during the war; they can with justification claim some reasonable safeguarding of their industry in the post-war period. In this they are supported by the full weight of public opinion. Circle Areas To find the diameter of a circle multiply circumference by .31831. To find the circumference of a circle multiply diameter by 3.1416. To . find the area of a circle multiply the square of the diameter by .7854.

This remarkable expansion in graingrowing was achieved only by surmounting many difficulties in . the supply of tractors, ploughs, drills, and other implements, harvesting machinery, and threshing mills. Fertilisers were rationed, although on a reasonably liberal basis; corn sacks were used time after time; binder twine was for a time critically short. The farmers were assisted by schoolboys and volunteers from the towns, but such workers,. although willing—even enthusiastic useful only for jobs requiring comparatively little' skill. As header harvesters are in use only on the larger farms in , the drier districts, most of the crops had to be stacked and the stacks thatched. It will be realised, therefore, that skilled labour at harvest time was essential. Added to all this, harvesting is made more difficult in many parts of Britain by broken weather, which seems to be the rule rather than the exception in the autumn months. Potatoes The area planted in potatoes in 1944 was nearly 1| million acres, more than double the 1939 figure and the highest in the country’s history. Wherever the land was at all suitable each farmer was directed to grow a certain acreage, and naturally this crop, with its heavy labour requirement, was not always popular. The grower received a subsidy at the rate of £lO per acre, which might be considered either as an insurance against loss of crop, or as meeting part of the rather heavy cost of “seed” potatoes. He was also assured of a market for the whole of his crop of table potatoes, which were purchased by the Ministry of Food at fixed prices varying according to variety, district, soil, and time of delivery. Potatoes were one of the few foods which were unrationed and in unrestricted supply.

They were retailed at fixed prices showing a loss to the Ministry, and the demand was stimulated by advertising. As a result the consumption rose to nearly twice the pre-war quantity, and in 1943 was estimated at s|lb. per person each week. Milk Production Milk for town supply was often referred to as “Priority Food No. 1,” and every encouragement was given to increase production, especially in the winter months. This campaign has achieved a good deal of success in spite of the ploughing-up policy and the shortage of concentrates, on which in pre-war years dairy-farmers relied so largely. The industry, which is the stand-by particularly of the smallholder, has been placed on a very satisfactory price basis by the operation of the Milk Marketing Board. Herd averages are being improved by better breeding and better feeding, while new methods for control .of disease are meeting with marked success. Apart from labour difficulties, and the general tendency of costs to rise in time of war, the dairying industry may look back on the ( war years as marking the commencement of an era of prosperity. The plough-ing-up, campaign will prove a blessing in disguise 'if it educates the dairyfarmer. to the value of grass when young, vigorous, and properly managed, whether for grazing, ensilage, or hay. Livestock Except in the hill country, sheep flocks have been drastically reduced or even dispersed. The total sheep population has declined by more than one third, and is now at the lowest figure since accurate statistics were first collected. It may be expected that, as arable land is gradually laid down to grass again, there will be some recovery from the present low

point of the sheep industry. But conditions in Britain are such as to make it unlikely that the home production of lamb could become seriously competitive with imports from New Zealand. Some 80 per cent, of the farms are too small to run a sheep flock, even if they were equipped to do so. A great deal of the pre-war arable land is neither fenced nor watered, and to use it for sheep involves the costly system of erecting hurdles, moving them daily, and carting water to the flock. It is unusual to see a really efficient set of drafting yards, or a modern sheep dip, while not a farm in Britain boasts a shearing shed specially designed for the purpose. Pigs and poultry, which were fed so largely on imported grain, have also declined in numbers by nearly 60 per cent. Their recovery could be very rapid if cheap grain could be procured, but the present world position does not seem encouraging in this direction. The Future In view of the many uncertainties, it would be of no value to attempt a forecast of the future of British agriculture over a lengthy period. Last year . the Government agreed to guarantee prices for meat and milk for four years ahead, so that the immediate future of these two products is assured. British farmers have had their full share of toil and anxiety during the war; they can with justification claim some reasonable safeguarding of their industry in the post-war period. In this they are supported by the full weight of public opinion. Circle Areas To find the diameter of a circle multiply circumference by .31831. To find the circumference of a circle multiply diameter by 3.1416. To , find the area of a circle multiply, the square of the diameter by .7854.

supplies are already available and only require crushing. Since it is not unusual for the road transport charges to amount to as much as the cost of the lime, it is obvious that considerable economies may sometimes be effected by erecting a small crushing plant on the farm and using local stone. Operated by the right man, such a plant can produce an abundance of lime for the farm and can still provide an appreciable surplus for the use of neighbouring farmers. Apart from the fact that the cost of the lime is not loaded by expensive cartage, local crushing can also effect a valuable saving in the' vital oil fuel and rubber which the country so sorely needs. Why Load Liming Charges? Thinking along these lines, a Port Albert farmer, Mr. J. Beaver, began to ask himself why he should load his liming bill with high cartage charges. ■ His property, like many others in the north, overlies a limestone formation with numerous outcrops very convenient for working. Tests had shown that the stone was soft and of excellent quality; it was close to the surface, and a steep working face promised very easy quarrying. With Nature providing all these essentials, surely he could attend to the crushing. Admittedly, the project would entail some spending, but at the existing prices and with a farm badly in need of ‘ lime, he would be amply and quickly repaid for his trouble. I To clinch matters, he was himself a good all-round handyman and would be able to do most of the work. Viewed in this light, the amount of capital needed would be small, and would actually consist more of his own time than of his money. , Selecting Site, for Works Mr. Beaver began by prospecting for the most suitable site, having regard to convenient road access, good quality stone, and an easily-worked face which would entail a minimum amount of stripping. With . several good choices available, this problem was satisfactorily solved. Having a steep hill of limestone to work on, he decided to design the layout so that gravity should do a big share of the work, and accordingly arranged it so that the stone should continually move down-hill from the quarry to the crusher. By keeping the storage bin high enough, he could greatly facilitate loading, as the crushed lime could be run direct into a truck underneath. Attention to these points would obviously speed up the work and reduce working costs. The importance of ample storage was also fully appreciated, and he decided that the storage bin should be large enough to hold about 40 tons of the crushed - lime. '

Simplicity and Low Cost From the outset he had decided to avoid heavy overhead charges wherever practicable. The outfit being primarily intended for his own requirements, high output, was less important than simplicity and cheapness of operation. After all, he was in business as a farmer and not as a lime merchant. What he wanted was a one-man limeworks which he could operate, not in competition, but rather as an adjunct to the farm. These basic points having been decided, the next thing was to procure and install the. necessary equipment.. Obviously, he could not construct a pulveriser, so. this must be bought. However, he was confident that the remainder of the plant could be improvised by ingenuity and careful searching. A brief description of the works will show how well he has succeeded. Installing Equipment The pulveriser is a small four -beater model, and cost £35 second hand. As already mentioned, this had to be bought. The remainder of the equipment was mainly improvised from —some of it at first sight very unlikely material indeed. An old 25h.p. four-cylinder model Dodge engine cost £Bnot a high initial cost for the power unit, and one not likely to boost up the overhead charges. The engine is cooled by a continuous flow

of water from the farm supply, and is giving excellent service despite its

ow price. From a ‘ pulley on the engine trans mission shaft r s led direct to the pu i veriser . A second pulley on the en gine shaft is connect ed with an overhead countershaft. A suitable pulley on this shaft is connected t o a pulley on the driving shaft of an old truck gear-box, which serves as a reduction gear. The transmission shaft from the gear-box drives two sets of heavy spur gears, which rotate the breaking-down rollers. These two rollers are set lin. apart, the respecfive gears being so arranged that one roller revolves three times as fast as the other, causing the stone to be subjected to ’a rending as well as a crushing strain. Another pulley on the countershaft operates the conveyor belt, which carries the crushed lime to the storage hopper, and still another pulley is used to drive a second countershaft, which operates a conveyor belt carrying the stone from the breaking-down rollers to the hoper pu i V eriser. j n „ nious Drive Mechanism * ; . As the engine is not fitted with a governor, it is necessary to ensure a very even load, and for this reason a rotary automatic feeder is employed to regulate the amount of stone passing from the hopper down to the pulveriser. This rotary feeder is driven in a very simple and ingenious man-

ner by means of the drive-shaft and back-axle assembly from an old T model Ford car. The. back axle is set on the ground vertically and the steel feeder disc is bolted to the wheel hub on the upper end of the axle. The end of the transmission shaft from the axle is fitted with a pulley, which is connected with a pulley on the overhead countershaft. This in turn revolves the feeder disc, which takes the place of the original car wheel. To. render the drive effective the crown wheel was welded to - the axle which carries the feeder plate. Improvisation Although the plant is well designed and highly efficient, considerable improvisation has cut down costs, and the motor-car junk yard has furnished much useful material. As already mentioned, the engine was acquired from an old motor-car; the drive for the automatic feeder was also an old motor-car part bought as scrap, while the buckets on the crushed lime-con-veyor belt were made from an old car body, the only cost being for the rivets. An ' old car also provided the gear-box reduction drive for ' the breaking-down rollers.. The ’ two heavy breaking-down rollers, which at first promised to be difficult to find, were picked up as cast-outs from a soup-making factory for 30/-, condition as new. The various drivingbelts were acquired cheaply as occasion offered, care being taken that they were in a good, serviceable condition. The leather feeder belt which carries the elevator buckets for the crushed lime was procured as a discard. Extremely Low Cost With much of the equipment procured at scrap prices, it is not surprising that the actual out-of-pocket cost of the entire plant was extremely low. Mr. Beaver estimates the cost somewhat as follows: — £ s. Pulveriser .. . . .. . . 35 0 Engine . . . . . . s . . 8 0 Feeder disc .. . . .. 3 0 Feeder disc drive (Ford rear axle) 2 0 Reduction gear-box ' for break-ing-down rollers . . . . 10 Breaking-down rollers .. . . 1 10 Miscellaneous shafting, pulleys, gears, etc. . . . . .. 20 0 Total cost . . :. . . £7O 10

The timber was all obtained on the farm and was cut at a neighbouring mill, the only cash expense being for the sawing. The iron for the roofing presented no great problem and was mostly found lying around the farm. The total cost of the limeworks amounted to about £2OO. The actual cash outlay, however, amounted to not more than about £7O, the balance of £l3O being mostly accounted for in the value of the timber and Mr. Beaver’s own working time. That the investment has been fully warranted is shown by the efficient working of the plant. With only himself as operator and a shedful of good dry stone, Mr. Beaver can turn out about 2 tons of crushed lime per hour —and more at a pinch. Ample Storage Important The limestone is worked down-hill by a horse scoop into an open-sided shed, which holds a reserve store, and from this it is fed by gravity down into the breaking-down rollers. After crushing, the lime is automatically delivered into an overhead storage hopper. Experience has shown the, importance of providing plenty of room for holding a reserve of dry stone, as well as having a large storage bin, as this permits of crushing being carried out at whatever time happens to be most convenient. Lime Costs Very Low Involving a capital charge of only about £2OO, and with low operating costs, the crushed lime can be produced astonishingly cheaply, the only cash outlay being for fuel and, lubri—say 2 gallons of petrol and less than a pint of lubricant per hour. As the plant can deal with about 2 tons per hour, and is operated by one man, this obviously means very cheap lime. It should be noted that this represents the cost of the lime on the farm, and that the quality of the

crushed lime compares favourably with that obtainable elsewhere. In comparison, it may be mentioned that lime purchased in the ordinary way was costing as much as 27/- per ton on the farm — it . was available; furthermore, the deliveries were apt to be uncertain and difficult to arrange. Mr. Beaver points out that his is in no sense a commercial limeworks, and his primary object is to supply his own requirements, though any surplus is available for his neighbours. Considering that his own farm of 160 acres requires an initial dressing of about 1 ton per acre, with, say, 3—4 cwt. per acre in subsequent years to maintain the lime status of the soil, it is obvious that he can effect considerable saving on his liming bill. Value of Small Works Although to Mr. Beaver the work was largely an interesting hobby, it will be readily appreciated that the construction of a limeworks such as his would be beyond the scope of the average person; but for the man with a mechanical bent the home crushing of lime presents distinct possibilities. There are numerous limestone deposits throughout New Zealand suitable for working, and in this mechanical age there is no lack of young men who are quite capable of exploiting them. Many competent farmers claim that the demand for lime in the future will tend to increase rather than to diminish, and experience shows that an efficient limeworks in a district can do an incalculable amount of good. With an increased number of small local .limeworks operating, the load on road transport would be greatly diminished, petrol and rubber would be saved for other work, and the output of farm produce would be greatly increased. What other investment can promise so much good, either to the individual or to the nation?

Operating The Works

Machinery For Crushing