The daily gazette., 1879-07-23
From the Ledger.
ENGLIBH AGRICULTURAL DyS.
l1flH) slGlS gTRESB.

ENGLIsH AGRICULTURAL Dys.
nf1NHJ SlGlS TRESB.
The cat In the English meal-bag is
discovered at last. 1t is the enormous
weight Of farm rent that is bearing down
the scales against the tenant farmers,
and which is shown conclusively when
the United States are filling the markets
with breadstufis and meats, brought
across an ocean and half continent,
and still underselling the home products
of English farms. The whole theory of
the great landed interests Of Englsnd,
which Is the true Briton's idea OF aris-
tOcracy and prosperity, is based on the
assumption that English tenant fal mers
can afford to pay about 335 millions Of
dollars year rent, and still have enough
ieft over to live on and improve their
lands. r' '.I l..f l... ..s.-'.. .t-F.
That is the estimate-three hundred
and thirty-ive millions-required in the
middle-man process, by which the own
ers of the land do not till it and the till
ers do not own it. In other words, the
tenant is at the rent of about a pound
sterling "a year per acre. That is just
four times the price that it would cost
him to own an acre in this country at
Government price, and twice the price of
railroad lands. For the rent the British
farmer pays year on each acre Of land
he could Ouh from two to four good
acres on this side Of the water. There
have been good many attempts to &C
count otherwise for the hopeless pros
pect before the English farmer-hope-
less before even the prolonged wet sea-
son this year came to turn his condition
to something akin to despair. One au-
thOrity puts on the growing extrava-
gance of the tenantry and their families.
The farmer drinks sherry now where
his fathers took beer; his daughters
play on the piano, instead of working
the churn-dasher his sons take to hunt
ing and the races, instead of the fields.
ALI of these might account for the failure
of farmer here and there, but as there
are always in every other department of
British industry keen and active compe-
titors ready to take the places of those
who fall out, there must be other rea-
sons why tile shrewd and saving North
British and Scotch and the practiced
Irish graZier are not ready to take the
| farming enterprise of England into their
own hands and make money.
The cause lies deeper, deeper than
even the worn soil of the old land. 1t
is that, while in the United States the
farmers first investment in new land is
merely nominal, he can put all his profits
| into his own pockets or into improve
ments on his own property. In England
| in addition to all the cost of living and
of improved farming, he is burdened
with heavy rent besides. 1t is counted
1 of nj In, f1,6. 20 Af hi
country, that the first crop on new lane
large margin for the improvements Ol
it. This ought to hold under any intel
ligent farming and with due selection Q
site.i It will be the first thing for til
new cabinet ofiicer-the Agriculture
Minister-to demonstrate to an unwil
ling country that the English farme
must henceforth own his acres if he is il
any way to keep up with his formidable
competitors on the Western prairies. AL
ready the State of Illinois alone, witt
$40 million acres-a million square mile!
still untouched by the plough, raise
three times as much corn as the Englisl
wheat crop, and in wheat alone the thirt
of England's whole harvest, and can pu
its corn and wheat in English markets
|
sell the home article. And that is onl,
from one State. Colorado sends barle,
to England, so adapted for mailing pur
poses that il instantly brings highe
prices than the home grown supply, ant
American preferred barley leads the quo
] tations. In view of this overpowerin
I competition John Bright tells the lane
ed gentry that their hour is struck. TIL
Iii 1nI
l it at lowest rates, to be able to hold h
own and keep his head above the waite
of this ruinOusly wet season and tn
threatening future. The great landholt
ers OF England hold their estates on til
fief tenure for military services at til
call of the Crown. That has passed IL
4 to fiction long ago, though when I'll
= war-taxes come in they have occasions
reminders of this ancient service. 1t
: different kind of service that seems I
: be required of them in future-to parct
? out their great acres in sales to the yet
: many, ''their country's pride," or to p;
4 triotically cut down their own income
: by an entirely changed basis of rents.
: The land laws, which have kept thes
g compact estates in unbroken line frol
s eldest son to eldest son, have been
q | Ln6 way niJnerIo W pIcNcut even vi
I needy nobleman, embarrassed with deb
: who desired to sell, and equally the ter
: ant, who might be able to buy, or I'll
$ division by inheritance among youngt
] sons, which so BEAUTIFULLY distribute
/, great estates in France and in Amer.c'
"Breaking the entail" by agreement b'
: tween father and son can be done, b,
|, English pride still regards this as a tire;
: son to posterity.
!, The boast Of the English landed sy
t tenn has always been that it released
1 wealthy and leisured class for an e,
Y elusive devotion to public affairs an
Q devotion to public affairs and govern
: ment. Serene above all the fiert
t struggles for wealth, untempted by ar
e bribe or profit, ring or scheme, wit
J. abundant leisure for parliamentary pu
+ suits, all the great concerns of nation
: welfare were supposed to be secure
e their hands. Now the national welfa
8 demands new basis for holding Lar
and new status for the farmer as Owne
or cheaper rental.
The competition with the virgin sc
of young States in America is seve
l. enough in the deep farming required
English fields. without any added bu