120 
a 
The comparatively small rise in barley prices was accounted for 
partly, if not mainly, by a decline in the quantity used for 
brewing. It was accompanied by a fall in the area under barley, 
which appears to have been one of the chief factors in the general 
decline of the arable acreage which occurred during this period, 
notwithstanding that prices were rising. On the other hand, the 
relatively small increase in the price of potatoes did not result 
in any diminution in the acreage under this crop. Generally, 
however, the period was one of gradual recovery from the depres- 
sion of the previous two decades, 
From the point of view of the effect on production since the 
last Census was taken, the most important price movements are 
those which have occurred in the three periods beginning with 
1914. The six years 1914 to 1920 experienced the sharpest rise 
in agricultural prices for which there are statistical records, * the 
rise being almost identical with the general movement of com- 
modity prices (see Diagram VII). This movement coincided 
with a period of great prosperity in which a substantial increase 
in food production was secured. Two factors arising out of the 
rapid upward movement of prices contributed to this prosperity. 
The first was the interval of time covered by most agricultural 
operations, so that between the time when the farmer laid out 
his money in certain of the costs of production and the time when 
the crops or products were sold in the market, the general level 
of prices had risen. The second was that certain costs of pro- 
duction did not advance so rapidly as did the prices of agricultural 
commodities. For example, wages, though they increased very 
considerably between 1914 and 1920.1 always lagoed behind the 
rise in agricultural prices. 
Statistics are not available of the movement of rentg during 
bhis period, but no general advance of rents took place during the 
early years of the war, and it is believed that the total average 
rise in rents was very small in comparison with the rise in agricul- 
tural prices. On the other hand, the area of agricultural land 
sold increased during the period, particularly towards 1920, and 
the price paid was usually higher than it would have been if 
valued on the basis of the rent paid prior to 1914. 
The remaining items in the cost of production which it is 
possible to measure to some extent statistically are feeding stuffs 
and fertilisers, the prices of which can be compared by means of 
index numbers with the prices of agricultural products. 
The prices of imported feeding stuffs rose more rapidly during 
the period 1914-1920 than did agricultural prices owing to the 
* See Table 37 in Part ITT of Agricultural Statistics, 1924, which shows 
the index numbers of the prices of agricultural commodities since 1906. 
T Statistics of wages so far ag they are available are given in Table 30 
in the Appendix. As explained in the footnote to this Table the hours 
of work from 1917 onwards were less than in 1914.