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considered that only 2 per cent of our land area is cultivated. we also include in this calculation natural grass fields not ploughed, we reach about 4 per cent. This may seem a very small proportion of a country supposed to be inhabited by a civilized people; but it has to be considered that about 70 per cent of our extensive land area is occupied by mountains, snow mountains, glaciers and entirely barren ground. About 21 per cent of the total area is covered with forest. Also in this respect-the very small percentage of cultivated area our country is unique amongst European countries. For the sake of comparison I may mention the following figures.

Finland is the country that comes next to us with a cultivated area of between 10 and 11 per cent of the total land surface; then comes Sweden with 12 per cent. Very different are the conditions in Denmark where 73 per cent of the total land area is cultivated. It is also of interest to notice that in mountainous Switzerland the cultivated land is 56 per cent of the total area.

Though very much has been done in order to develop our agriculture in every respect, it has not been possible to increase its production at the same rate as the population has been growing. Nevertheless, our agriculture may be said to have a fairly high standing. The cultivated ground yields, for instance, a much greater crop per acre than in most countries. This is largely due to our small holdings causing the soil to be better worked and manured. As, however, our cultivated area is comparatively so small, we are not able to produce more than a certain portion of the grain we need for living. This portion varies naturally somewhat with the harvest in the different years, but on the average it has lately been between one-third and one-half of the total amount we need. We have therefore had to import all the way from an equal quantity to double as much as we produce ourselves.

As an illustration it may be mentioned that during the three last years before the war, 1911 to 1913, our total import of grain and flour of all kinds (not including Indian corn chiefly for feeding animals) was on the average of 425,000 tons while our home production of grain during these years averaged 311,259 tons.

In the three years 1914 to 1916, that is during the war, the average import reached only the amount of 389,536 tons while our home production averaged 303,314 tons. It is thus seen that our import of grain as well as our home production has been less during the years of the war than before this time.

In the figures of our home production just given our crop of potatoes has not been included. If this be done the proportion between home production and import for human food will be somewhat different. In order to make the figures comparable, the nutritious value of the potatoes as well as that of the different kinds of grain has to be transferred to the value of one special kind of grain as a standard, and in our statistics barley has been chosen for this purpose. In order to give an impression of the change which has taken place in the proportion between home production and imports the figures obtained for a few different years may be useful.

It will thus be understood that the proportion of the home production as compared with the import of grain has been constantly sinking during this time until about 1911 or the years before the war, but during the war it has again been somewhat increased. This is due to our natural desire to decrease our dependency on the import of grain as much as possible. The land area cultivated has been increased, especially this year, and our government has stimulated the agricultural production in every possible way by allotting free soil, by minimum prices, by importing fertilizers and reselling them at a sacrifice, etc. We therefore hoped that this year's crop would be essentially increased from what it has been in former years and the outlook early in the summer was also quite good; but a very long and continuous period of drought has spoiled our good prospects and, as I now have learned, much rain during the collecting of the crop, which is now going on, has caused serious difficulties.

If we take our imports of grain and our home production, the total average quantity of grain and flour available for consumption during the years 1911 to 1916 has been 715,000 tons per year. We might thus calculate the consumption at 60,000 tons per month, but here is also included seed as well as grain used for feeding animals. After having deducted the quantities necessary for these purposes, and considering that our population is two and one-half million inhabitants, we find that during the six years 1911 to 1916

the consumption of grain per head averaged 232 kilograms, or about 600 grams per day.

Before the war we received our greater part of grain and flour from Russia, Germany and Roumania. From the United States we only received a comparatively small portion which in the years 1911 to 1913 averaged 8 per cent of our total imports. In 1914 it was increased to 43 per cent which means that after the outbreak of the war in August the United States supplied us with practically all the grain and flour imported. In 1915 United States sent us 98 per cent and in 1916, 99 per cent of our total import of grain. Though it is unnecessary, I may still mention here that we have naturally had no export of grain either before or after the outbreak of the war, with the exception of some diminutive quantities confined almost exclusively to a little grain and flour sent to the Pomors or inhabitants of northern Russia on the Kola Peninsula and a little trade across the frontier to the nearest districts of Sweden. There is of course prohibition against all exports of grain and cereals and no licenses are given for this frontier trade, except in accordance with the agreement with Great Britain.

The different kinds of grain as well as potatoes are naturally the chief sources of the carbohydrates necessary for the sustenance of the Norwegian people. But in this connection ought also to be mentioned sugar, though of less importance. No sugar is raised in Norway, and we therefore have to import all we need, which has on the average amounted to between 49,000 and 55,000 tons of sugar a year, corresponding to a consumption of about 50 grams per individual per day, or something like 20 kilograms in a year. This is much less than most other people consume. Of course we do not export sugar, except some few tons, 80 or 90 tons, that go across the frontier in the same way as the grain before mentioned.

Having thus mentioned the quantities of food containing carbohydrates consumed by the Norwegian people, I now propose to discuss another important part of the food, namely the fats. I may then first point out in general that the investigations on the nutrition of the Norwegian people show that their consumption of fats is relatively great as compared with that of the more southern nations of Europe. This is naturally explained by the climate of our country and by the hard work of the people and their way of living. The average low temperature and the long

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duction of the heat of the body necessary o to be considered that a comparatively en, fishermen, laborers in the forest, etc., he open air under severe climatic condiown experience that under such circumof food has chiefly to be covered by fats. tion of fat by a man in our country who ts to about 100 grams of fat per day. By ion is increased to 130 to 150 grams, and ng the winter it is increased to 200 grams f our men being engaged in this kind of Norway. This consumption of fat may the conditions in the United States and investigations on the food of the people Canada, Professor Atwater, in his book estigations on the Chemistry and Economy consumption of fat per individual should day. Assuming that the population of han two and one-half million inhabitants, ore than two million of what might be f we further assume that these standard of fat per day, this will make a consumption of about 74,400 tons of fat for the whole of Norway per year. This quantity is, however, a minimum. As I said before, a great part of the population of Norway has hard work at comparatively low temperatures which will naturally increase the craving for fat, and if we increase the consumption of fat, for instance with 30 grams per day, it will make the quantity of fat needed for feeding. Norwegian people in the year as much as 96,725 tons.

A careful calculation of Norway's production of fat which can be used for human food shows that it is about 53,700 tons per year on the average. In this quantity is included the fat of animals, cattle, sheep, swine about 15,000 tons, fat of milk and milk products -butter, cheese, etc.-with about 35,500 tons. Herring oil which is not used for human food is not included, but on the other hand, the fat contained in fresh and salted fish from the home fisheries is included in our calculation. All figures are calculated as net values, i.e., the quantity that is really available in the human organism.

If we take the calculation of our needs based upon 100 grams

of fat per day per each standard man, Norway will have a deficit of about 21,000 tons of fat per year which has to be imported. This is, as pointed out before, a minimum. With the consumption of 130 grams per man per day the deficit will be 43,000 tons. If we now look at our imports of fats and oils for human food we find that they agree very well with this more theoretical calculation. In the three years 1911 to 1913 our average yearly import of fats was 21,000 tons. In the three years during the war, 1914 to 1916, the average import was somewhat higher, namely 26,400 tons. If we take the imports for each year we find, however, that they were on the whole increasing somewhat even before the war. The increased import of fat after the outbreak of the war is also to a great extent explained by the decrease in our supplies of meat and pork, which decrease was very considerable if we consider the difference in import of live stock and our home production.

If it be considered that the quantities of fats mentioned are not net values, it will easily be understood that the people of Norway are decidedly not overfed, in regard to fat.

There still remains a very important part of foodstuffs and that is everything belonging to what is called with a general name— protein-contained chiefly in meat, fish, and also to some extent in grain. If we take it that each individual will want about the same daily ration of protein as fat it means that the yearly consumption of protein should also be about 74,000 tons. Of this we produce about 70,000 tons ourselves and consequently we should only be 4,000 tons short in this respect, a shortage which may easily be covered.

I have described the situation of the Norwegian people as to their food supplies and have tried to give you an idea of what we actually must import from abroad in order to live without suffering. Of course there are also many other things which we must import, for instance, material for our shipbuilding, raw material for our manufacturing industry, manufactures of various kinds, etc., which also are very necessary for our existence as a nation, but which now, when it is a question of to be or not to be, are not so important as the food.

The next question now is how the Norwegian people can obtain the means to cover the deficit in the balance of trade caused by the importation of these foodstuffs and other necessary articles.