From. Our Welsh Correspondent The Ministry of Agriculture has published alarming statistics about the state of the Welsh countryside.
In 1936 there was a decrease of 5,123 in the number of workers on the land in Wales, and since 1932 there has been a decrease of 13,357.
In four years we have 2,000 fewer small farms, and food-production has decreased seriously at a time when the need of it has never been greater.
Peasant Craftsmanship The Royal Welsh Agricultural Show at Caernarvon merely went to prove how much more Wales could achieve in the agricultural sphere
under favourable economic conditions. Exhibits were shown from all parts of Wales—cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, goats and all kinds of dairy activities, and the (Continued at foot of next column), standard maintained throughout was very high.
The declining attraction of mass-produced goods was obvious in the increase in all kinds of peasant craftsmanship. Although these as yet only claim a luxury market, the variety and cheapness of the goods bodes well for the future. Pottery was exhibited, and woven goods, iron-work and wooden goods. All these are ancient Welsh crafts, and it is good to see their revival.
A depressing sign of the times was the red-coated recruiting officer, who told me jubilantly of his five recruits.