Text c British Farming

It is important to realise the position which farm­ing today occupies in the life of Britain. In the course of the great industrial expansion of the industrial revolution and after when Britain became engaged more and more in the task of supplying manufactured goods to an ever-expanding world market, home production of food came gradually to be neglected, almost forgotten by the growing number of town-dwellers. Sorely strained by the First World War, the Second World War changed Britain from a creditor nation to a debtor nation forced to go out into the world and buy food and raw materials at competitive prices to be paid for by the exports no longer eagerly demanded by the world s markets.

In a broad sense British farming may be termed intensive as opposed to the extensive farming widely practised in newer lands, such as Canada, the United States, Australia and South America. In other words, the British farmer cultivates a comparatively small tract of land producing a variety of products – food crops and animal products.

There are very marked contrasts between one part of Britain and another in the type of farming. In the main, the reasons are to be found in the physical conditions of the land, in relief, soil and climate, though accessibility – especially to roads and markets – also plays a large part.

Hill sheep farms are usually found on the margins of mountain moorland – over several hundred acres of which the sheep roam except in winter – and the farmhouse is often some distance from a public road and so difficult of access.

The keeping of cows for milk has become the major occupation of farmers over a large part of Lowland Britain. Whilst much of the east of England is ploughland and the farmers sell wheat, barley, oats and sugar beet off the farm, most of them keep animals also and milk is often important. Such intensive and specialised types of farming as market gardening, horticulture and fruit farming exist only where there is a combination of favourable physical factors and economic factors (such as nearness or access to markets, casual labour supplies when needed for harvesting).

Although there are large farms in Britain, most of the farms are small; one third of them less than 100 acres and a half between 100 and 500. Where land is very fertile farms tend to be smaller; in East Anglia, where the land is drier and less fertile, the farms are bigger. By any calculation the 100 acres farm is three or four times too small for effi­ciency. So there is a tendency to combine small farms into bigger holdings of the kind more suitable for mechanised farming.

Ex. 12. Give the English equivalents.

1) Промышленная революция; 2) поставлять промышленные товары; 3) расширяющийся мировой рынок; 4) покупать пищевую продукцию; 5) обрабатывать сравнительно небольшое количество земли; 6) состояние земли; 7) рельеф, почва и климат; 8) пахотные земли, 9) пшеница, овес и сахарная свекла; 10) рыночное садоводство; 11) плодородная земля.

Ex. 13. Complete the sentences.

1. British farming _____. 2. British farmer producers varieties of products _____ and _____. 3. _____ to roads and markets plays a large part. 4._____ are usually found on the margins of mountain moorland where the sheep _____. 5. _____ is the major occupation of farmers in Lowland Britain. 6. Much of the east of England is _____. 7. The farmers sell _____. 8.Farmers keep _____ also and milk is often important. 9. _____, _____ and _____ exist only where there is a combination of favourable physical factors. 10. Where land is _____ farms are smaller.

Ex. 14. Match the words and translate the word combinations.

1) industrial	a) materials
2) home	b) occupation
3) raw	c) gardening
4) intensive	d) revolution
5) food	e) crops
6) major	f) farming
7) mountain	g) production
8) market	h) land
9) fruit	i) moorland
10) fertile	j) farming

Ex. 15. Answer the questions.

1. How did British farming change since the Second World War? 2. Why may British farming be termed intensive? 3. In which countries is extensive farming practised? 4. What contrasts in the type of farming are there between one part of Britain and the other? 5. Where are hill ship farms usually found? 6. What is the major occupation of farmers in Lowland Britain? 7. What crops do farmers sell? 8. What is the average size of farms in Britain?

Ex. 16. Choose the right word (according to the information of the text).

1. British farming is (extensive, intensive) in comparison with (extensive, intensive) farming in Canada. 2. The keeping of (pigs, cows) is the major occupation of farmers over a large part of (lowland, highland) Britain. 3. Much of the east of England is (ploughland, deserted). 4. Most of the farms are (small, medium). 5. Where land is (unfertile, fertile) farms tend to be smaller. 6. In East Anglia where the land is (drier, wetter) the farms are (bigger, smaller).

Ex. 17. Prove that.

1. British farming is intensive.

2. British farming has changed a lot since the Second World War.

3. Such specialised types of farming as market gardening and horticulture cannot exist throughout Britain.

Ex. 18. Fill in the table and tell about British farming.

1) Changes in farming
2) Farm animals
3) Main crops
4) Types of farms
5) Major occupation of farmers in different regions.