BRISTOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND SHIPPING.
93
BRISTOL’S AGRICULTURAL
HINTERLAND.
By Eldred G. F. Walker (“North Somerset”),
Agricultural Editor, Bristol Western Daily Press ; Author of “Agriculture of Somerset”
in Victoria Counties History of England ; Canadian Trails; The Devon World, etc.
Whilst travelling in other lands I have been frequently asked, “ What does Bristol
do with the enormous amount of agricultural produce she imports ? ” It is well known
how keen is the eye of a foreign business man, and that his endeavour is to try and
ascertain the reason of a trade. Commercial Bristol readily realises and appreciates the
very absorbent agricultural hinterland that surrounds it. No other port in the United
Kingdom is the gateway to such a large-sized farm barton, or has such miscellaneous
contents within that barton. No one realises more than the farmers themselves that
their farms will not keep those bartons self-contained, and therefore it is their constant
aim to supply the deficiencies of their production, not through agricultural so much as
through commercial channels. The mill beside the stream is no longer up-to-date, and they
might as well cart their purchased produce direct to their small engines as allow it to deviate.
They are also conversant with the value of collectivism—that goods handled in bulk come
more cheaply than goods handled in parcels. The big cargoes of corn, grain, and oil-seeds
are converted into meals and feeding cakes, etc., in the huge mills of Bristol, and then
divided up into parcels suitable for the farmers to deal with in order to be utilised for their
own particular method of conversion. Thus, instead of the middlemen of Bristol being an
extra cost, they are an invaluable benefit. Bristol helps the farmer. Of what use for him
to produce foodstuffs if there were not a market for them ? And it is really surprising
what Bristol consumes in the way of agricultural produce—the reservoirs of milk that are
daily distributed and consumed; and not only milk, hut meat and other agricultural
products also, which shows to the utmost the value of the intercommunicability of
trade between Bristol and its extensive agricultural hinterland.
Bristol’s merchants fully realise the value of the hinterland to them. Still its
visitors may not at first do so. What could they do better than take a stroll over an
average mixed farm towards the end of summer ? A walk across the home field, dark
green in the dazzling richness of its pasturage. How much of this is due to the rich feeding
stuffs—linseed, and more particularly the various forms of cotton cake that have been
fed to the cattle ? In a meadow the tubs show how beef is made. What a variety of
contents ! Sometimes it has been cotton, sometimes compound cakes, and then the final
high percentage of oil linseed cake, none of which can be produced on the farm. That
bunch of calves—where has the help for these come from to eke out the meagre supply
of milk ? Some might have had oil given them. There is the final draft of fat lambs.
In their troughs will be found the kibbled mixture of cake and com, known as lamb food.
The older sheep are between the hurdles, clearing off some green crop ; to get to them,
one has to pass the root field. What accounts for the marvellous greenness of those
