I would like to speak about the British and Latvian agriculture and about country life, too, in this essay. I think, the agriculture is very important branch in every state.
The agriculture is very developed in United Kingdom. Perhaps, it is because there are very fertile soils in Great Britain and never is real winters like in Latvia. The dairying and the rearing of the beef cattle are the most developed branches in Great Britain. Mostly such employment is choosing farms in England and Northern Ireland. In comparison with Latvia, in Great Britain are much larger farms. The average size of the farm in Latvia is about 21 hectare, but in Great Britain- about 70 hectares. Also the average size of the cowherds in Great Britain very differs from Latvia. In Great Britain it is approximately 71 cows in average size cowherd, but in Latvia it is only 3 cows. And the average milk-yield in Great Britain is 6100 kilograms from cow in year. In the same time, in Latvia it is only 4132 kilograms from cow in year. In this case the situation in Latvia is not very cheerful. I am adding the table, where are obvious describe the facts.
The second employment in Great Britain is the cultivation of grain. Basically, it is rearing of the oats and wheat. But fodder crops occupy about 50% of the cornfields. This field is mostly widespread in England and in Scotland a little. In comparison with Great Britain, in Latvia with cultivation of grain mostly employ farmers of Zemgale. And Latvian farmers rear not only wheat and oats, but also rye and barley.
The third kind is sheep breeding. Mostly with that employ the farms in Scotland and in Wales a little.
The one more kind of the activity in Great Britain is the fruit farming and the horticulture. With sugar beet growing employ in Eastern England, with potatoes growing – in Northern Ireland, Cambridge shire, Scotland, Lancashire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. But the horticulture and the hothouse farms are widespread in Cornwall, Western Lancashire and Southern England. In the Silly Isles, Eastern England and South West coast of England employ with floriculture.
Of course, the agriculture of Great Britain is one of the most progressive and therefore the hopest between all states in the E.U. Still , the best farmers of our continent are doing something strange. They very proud, moreover, pay extra in order the old England will become ... weedy. Queer, isn’t it? But in fact, the farmers of Great Britain are anxious about protection of the environment and putting in order it, even more than about farming. And now they are very proud about restored fences of the stones in length about 700 miles ( it is about 1126 kilometers), green hedges of the thorn bushes which they are put in order in length about 8000 miles. But it is not all! The farmers form green hedges of the thorn bushes anew in length about 8000 miles. Very serious numbers, aren’t they? In same time, the farmers of Latvia consider the matter of honor to clean their fields from such kind of the bushes.
About 14 000 farms of Great Britain are involve in programs of protect of the environment. May be it is because every farmer receives subsidies about 5 to 650 pounds for each hectare if he takes care the native. For example, if farmer decides to sale his cows and to plant the pastures with, so-called power osiers, then he receives subsidies from state about 1600 pounds for each hectare, which he is planting. But, if he is planting the arable with such kind osiers, then he receives about 1100 pounds for each hectare. Meanwhile, the state pays about 830 pounds for each hectare, which is planting with conifers. But for the oak –forest or beech-forest the state pays about 1560 pounds for hectare. Certainly, the oaks and the beeches grows very slowly, but in 90% cases farmers choose to plaint exactly those trees. Maybe it is because such kind of wood is traditional for England. And everybody knows that Englishmen are supporters of the traditions. In addition, the woods like that are very aristocratic.
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