Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-22
LONDON LETTER.
CONDITION. OF THE FARMER CLASS
IN ENGLAND.
Grain Growing and crops-wages and
Yerquisites OF harvest Laborers-
Efforts FOR Improvement.
LONDON, August 80, 1888.

such favorable weather as it has brought is
almost without precedent in the country's
history Bright skies and an usually high
temperature all over the land And nature
having smiled, the farmers are smiling. For
many years this class of English subjects
have worn long faces and not without
good reason. They are grumbling set at
best, these cultivators of the soil, wher-
ever, and in whatsoever condition, we ind
them. But in England, for many years
past, their complaints have had only too
good q foundation. Bad harvssta for half
a dozen seasons in succession would wear
out the patience of a saint, much more that
OF an average farmer. And while the
weather has been adverse and crops
wretchedly short in consequence, the
United States and other corn growing
countries have stepped in with their large
importations, and have cut down prices to
such degree as to make it scarcsly worth
while for the home producer to put on the
market even the little he has raised, In
regard to
THE CAPRlCIOUS CLIMATE
Of tnese isles, many thought it would
never again be favorable TO bouatiful crops.
To these prophets of evil the prospect
looked very dark indeed. Farmers, they
said, must either be content to use their
landa exclusively for cattle raising, or they
mus5 seek fresh fields aud pastures new
in foreign countries, while the people gen.
orally must hereafter depend wholly for
then food supplies upoa Europe and
America. Sdoh was the picture which the
English Memories drew, and which many
accepted as a correct forecast But the
slate, fortunately, has been broken, and
once more has 9 kindly Providence proven
better 10 these people than their doubts
and fears. Favorable weather and a good
harvest last year-magnifcent weather
and excellent crops this year The weather
prophets. IN consequence, hiding their d.
mioished heads IN shame, and the farmers
being as jubilant as lot of children at a
candy-pulling
TIE ENGLISH FARMERS,
I must tell you, are high and mighty set
of people. They are nearly all renters,
but the airs they put on are something ap-
pslling. A holding of couple of hundred
acres entities them TO the rank of gentle
men, " and brings au amount of Difference
from the surrounding community that is
positively sickeniug TO an American. They
toll not, neither do they spin, but Solomon
In all MS glory was NOT q patch TO some of
them as regards the estimate they have of
their own Importance. It seems too bad
that the Almighty should 60 back on these
people in the fashion He has lately. Occs-
sionally, however, one meets With an En-
giiah farmer who IS spproschsble and who
IA not above familiar conversation, and
even an intimate acquaintance, with such
common trash as a newspaper correspond
ent. have such person III view as l
write. He cultivates about 80 acres, for
which he pays an annual rental of about
500. His place is in e good county, and
is situated near D market town. He is
doing fairly well, and will probably con-
.irue so to do, until old age compels him
to retire. When that time comes he will
be likely to have
SMALL COMPETENCY.
Eut, meanwhile, what will become of his
children? He is thinking just now OF in
denturing one of his sons to an institution
which for $500 premium will educate the
boy il practical farming and take the
profits of his LABOR for four years, and then
settle him on a small holding under similar
conditions to those surrounding his father.
De may perhaps dispose of another son in
the same way. His growing daughters he
is utterly az loss to know what 90 do
with. and as = matter of fact the openings
for young girls in this country are so few
as 70 make the woman question, in its eco.
noulis aspects, one of the gravest problems
VITA which legislators aud philanshropists
have to deal. Ny farmer friend never
dreams of being able to put his children in
possession OF farms of their Owl, or Of ever
owning farm himself, and in this
SHOWS HIS GOOD SENSE,
For except in the rarest instances, such
thing, as blossoming from poor renter
into bloated landowner is simply impos-
sibie in England With US, however, the
case is entirely different, and though l have
10 interest in any emigration scheme, but
such as every we'll informed and charitably.
disposed American must feel | somehow
never CO1FST5C VIII bLilo iOl
rrsny minutes at a time without calling his
attention to the superior advantages offered
to peaple of his claas in the glorious land of
the stars and stripes. The capital he uses
here in the cultiva lion of rented ground
would, in that country, assure him, make
him owner in little while of broad acred
farm Of his own, the income from which
would enable him TO add to his possessions
IN ,aI-n ~ r,pcsfhla OF
death to bequeath good. sized holding in
fee simple 10 each of his children. Were
nv opportunities for observation IN the
farming districts of England more extern
sive, I should, doubtless, meet many simi-
larly situated to this one, and the wonder
to me Is that more care is not taken
to keep this class informed of the grand
prospect the United States offers to them
of bettering taeir condition, and tina. more
enterprise is not shown in trying to get
them to settle among us. The latest re-
turns from the most reliable sources put
THE PRESENT WHEAT CROP
At little below the average, barley lit
tie ABOVE, and osts the best of all. This
means that wheat will yield about %
bushels to the acre. and barley about 40
bushels, The extent of land in Great
Britain sown this year in barley is 2. .29l.-
eS4 acres, against }. 255. 269 last year. The
showing in oats Is az follows 1882, S93, :
s65 acres; 1883, 1876, 377. La wheat, not
onlv is there something hslow an average
yield for the qasuti5y sown, but there has
been less sown than usual. The number
of acres devoted to shis crop the present
season is ,. 6l3. l47. Last year the figures
were ). .0O3 96O This decrease is owing TO
the effect on prices OF the large quantity OF
wheat that comes from abroad. There is
So little money IN the crop that farmers are
fighting shy OF It. As one remarked to
me. with touch OF pathos, not long ago,
s.Ifs no use TO expect anything from
wheat. The price goes up little once in
while, bat no sooner is this known in
America than large shipments are for
uarded, and the market goes down
again" The aubjo,ned figures from the
BOARD OF TRADE RETURNS
Tell their own tale. They give the inn
p,rtations of wheat and of wheat -four
from September 18th of one year to July
3Ist of the next: Wheat-lSS0-l, H..
-. -. -l.-. fa;rbk huahaie IN tho