Land Reclamation

Abstract

ATTEMPTS are being made to reclaim some of the many waste acres in the British Isles, and the problems of reclamation are fully discussed in the 1919 volume of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The general problem is dealt with by Mr. W. Gavin. There is no definite information available as to the extent of either the total uncultivated land or the uncultivated land likely to be capable of cultivation in this country, but Sir Daniel Hall in his report to the Reconstruction Committee tentatively suggested 250,000 acres as the probable area reclaimable for agricultural purposes. Land reclamation has been going on more or less continuously since the beginning of agriculture, and in a closely settled country like England the greater part of the land showing prospects of immediate profitable cultivation has been reclaimed. Therefore, to reclaim the remaining waste land generally requires an expenditure in excess of the immediate value of the land when reclaimed. In some few districts there is land which would pay to reclaim, and in many cases private owners could do the work more cheaply than could the State. On the other hand, such reclamation adds to the national wealth more than the actual value of the land, so that the State can afford to spend more than a private owner. Further, in times of industrial depression it may be of social advantage to the State to provide employment by starting some reclamation schemes.