The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-07-21
TIE DISLIKE OF FARMING.

4 movement has been started lately
in London TO induce Eielishmen to
come over and settle ON the numerous
deserted farms of New England, many
of which are now being taken up by
Irishmen and Germans. IL is hardly
likely TO have any perceptible success,
however. The English farmer Is not
an emigrating man.
Besides this, he can have to-day as
much land as he wants in England
with an sorts Of comforts and @im-
proycmonts,~ for very little more than
the labor of cultlyating il. In other
words, there are two landlords In pur-
suit of every farmer in England who
is looking for farm. There are but
few English farmers too, prepared by
nature or education for the life Of a
farmer in any part of New England.
There is hardly any eultivator Of the
soil less fitted to struggle with the diff
iiculties of new country, or wiring
comforts from an unfruitful soil, than
the English farmer Why any one
should suppose that he would be able
to extract comfortable living from
soil which the hardworking, frugal and
ascetic Yankee has deserted In disgust
or despair, we cannot imagine.
But II Is a mistake 10 suppose that
II is in New England only, or the Uni
ted States only, that all the younger
generation brought up on farms are
eager TO quit them for the great towns.
Tho same tendency is visible in other
countries in which railroads are nu-
mcrous and the art ofreading is wide
ly didnsed. In England not only are
farms lying vacant in great numbers,
but the supply of farm labor Is rapidly
diminishing in spite OF marked adj
vance in wages aud Of greatly improy-
ed cottages. Mr.. kobbel, In his book
on the Agricultural Labor" says
"Thc rising generation Of peasantry
takes no interest in agricultural work
In many villages the men who can cui
n hedge, dram field, Or thatch arick
may be counted on the fingers Of one
hand, and they are old men.
Tho best boys from the schools al
set their faces towards the town ant
scorn the plough Those who remain
get higher wages, but they neither
know their work nor care to know IT,
lie declares m fact, that there is !" al
exodus from the soil.'
What rural England win be unde
these changed conditions II Is hard Il
say, but the chances are that II willlos
that exquisite finish which during thu
last two centuries has made II the won
der and admiration of all lands. Fol
TO secure neat gardens, well-kept road
and parks, trim hcdgc-rows, and nca
; fields, the love of order or an eye TO
beauty, or even full purse is not suill
clent. Labor must be abundant, cheal
and manageable.
In France the same movement Il
, wards the towns has begun TO cxcit
serious alarm. Mr. Baudrillart Ia
y been investigating the subject in Il
teen Of the departments. lie finds
. positive dimlnutlon Of population l
all of them, but he also finds that th
population of the towns increase
) Tho young women, will not live o
the farms if they can help IL. Agricu
4 turc offers greater inducements tina
ever in the shape Of higher wages an
! better foodand lodging, but these hay
4 little effect on the rising generation
4 The disincination for farm life is,
i thinks, to be accounted for in III
j same way as the small number Of Chi
: dren to a marriage. Moral progress
n he says, :" has not marched abrea
n with material progress"
. Everywhere the aspirations of Il
! rural classes are out of proportion
# their intelligence and resources. III
10 rise of wages has created crowd
4. Fictitious wants. which keep alive
+ constant sense Of privation, Educ
/. tion has created In the farming mi
" man an intellectual curiosity, viii
10 keeps him constantly in mind Of
u isolation, of the loneliness and dulnt
!, ! of his life. One effect of this state
N things in France is the influx fro
e. Italy and Belgium of a very low gra
Is Of laborers, whom the farmers are on
" too glad to hire to prevent their fiel
- lying waste, but who are anything b
of wholesome addition to the Fren
X population. In this country we a
e witnessing much the same phenomen
y Wherever we find the natives aba
IS doning in disgust the cultivation Of
p soil we find lower grade of labor
al less civilized man, who asks for Il
Y both from nature and tho State, comil
,d in to take their place at the plough.
n Abridged from n. Y. Evening Post.
l. The Presidential candidate of
/. Prohibitionists, being asked what
cd thought Of the prohibition plank in