§ Mr. L. SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the estimated average labour cost per acre of growing turnips in Great Britain?
§ Dr. ADDISONNo survey of the cost of growing turnips has been carried out for Great Britain as a whole, but during the years 1923 to 1927 inquiries on the subject were made in respect of certain groups of farms in East Anglia by the Farm Economics Branch of the University of Cambridge Department of Agriculture. According to the report on these inquiries, which was published in 1929, the average cash cost of cultivating turnips and swedes on a total area of 222¼ acres was £10 6s. 4d. per acre. The average cost of manual labour was £3 11s. 2d. per acre, and of horse, tractor and steam cultivation £2 14s. 2d. per acre. I regret that there are no more recent figures available.