The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
BRlTAIN'S VACANT FARMS.
n NATION BECOMING ALARMED At
4. NEW DANGER.

General .hGIitlOn begun 10 NneCk the KuAh
to tho CitIcs by Improving the Condition
of tho Agricultural Experimentation
ungsnri Prominent In tho Movement
a Recent Address by the Novelist-The
Queens Ncw Iacht-Success OF tho Sale Of
Sir John fowier's Collection of Pictures.
LONDON. May 2O.-A general agitation mas
begun in this country. upon the subject Of n
dlugcr which Is by no means peculiar to Eng
lnnl The cry OF distress from the impover-
i,lrl agricultural c!nsses OF Great Britain has
locomr so familiar in the public ear that Il Ia
scarcely heard. or " heard In regarde! "a a
homeless complaint impossible to remedy. But
the conditions have grown worse so steadily
and for 50 long a time that at length the stun
tol demands tho attention OF all publiclsts.
hpwcycrlacking in sympathy they may be as far
A. tho immediate victims are concerned. The
number ~ agricultural laborers In tho eastern
cun'ies Of England. for instance, has de-
ere sod fully II per cent. In the past twenty
year. The general population OF these coun-
tc- has also shrunk considerably In that
IcroI. although the population Of England
anl Walcs as a whole has increased more than
t.uuU,0OO in the same time. 1t Is even true
tina, tho population OF many rural villages is
smaller to-day than 1t was In tho Middle Ages.
The abnormal makeup OF tbs present popu-
lation Of rural England Is striklngly revealed
b. recent statistics. The number OF marriages
is more than 33 per cent. below normal. while
more than so per cent. OF the deaths are OF
persons more than 80 years OF age. The lat
ter fact might be taken to indicate high lon
gcvity and a very healthy climate. but tho truth
is that II is accounted for by the absence OF
residents between the ages OF 20 and co.
The latest cham pion OF the agricultural in
.-.z.,-F Goat nr;tol, Il. D;J.. a.
novelist, and he is taking a prominent part in
the agitation which is pretty sure to force the
subject uron the active attention Of one or
both political parties in the near future. He
discussed the subject tho other day before the
Norfolk Chamber OF Agriculture In n manner
o. impress its Importance uron all nublic-spir-
tied hearers and readers. He scarcely men
toned the evil which moro than any other
Expresses English agriculturists. namely,
the prohibitivc railway rates. which mako
II impossible to develop England into
q great market garden for the feeding
al town populations. II the cost of ,trans-
p~or:at'on was reduced To the average scale
WITHIN n radius Of 100 miles OF tho principal
cries Of the Eastern States in America the
agricultural problem in England would be we'll
advanced toward solution. The farmer could
then abandon the cultivation of cereals, wherein
h" cannot compete with the soil and methods
o. American and Russian grain fields. and
could ,lcvoto himself to supplying the over
gown cities with products from his land.
lGt this is n local condition. and Mr.. Hag-
gard devoted himself chiefly to tho discussion
Of more general factors Of the problem which
have some application to the same question
IN Other countries. He mentioned, for in
sancc, tho arGumcn that the SPREAD OF educa-
ton makes labor on the land distasteful to the
~. -.
other things being equal. true education. the
education which teaches us how great and
good a thing it is to be in daily contact with
nature and to breathe the rure air indebted
10y the rcck Of cities, might have led to n dif-
ferent conclusion that the housing OF labor
es ia in many cases insuf1cient-though here
j may remark that the housing OF similar
classes in large towns Is not all that could be
desired. and the rem, Is very much higher:
a"l that The desire for music halls and other
forms Of entertainment draws the young from
dn1l country Places. which is doubtless true.
Such are some OF the reasons. but | main
tan that the true first cause Of this emigration
i~sIurcly cconomic. that the laborer leaves the
land because the land cannot pay sufficient
wages to keep him on it: and that II it could
pay MIN sufficient he would soon get over his
l'@cing for the music halls. or his dislike OF
'''' ~ wv az isFs - '''h 'iV VI
house accommodation in his ncighborhood.
This can lie easily proved. II am one OF us
wants a groom or a keeper. or under gardener.
th"'c is no lack Of applicants for the post. be-
cause The work is comparatively light and the
pay a few shl,iings n week better.
1t may be taken as a proposition beyond
reasonable doubt" Mr.. Haggard went on to
snr. that the laborer is leaving the land be-
cause In tho present depressed state of the
great agricultural industry in our part OF Eng
land the cuItirator Of the land cannot by any
possibility manage to pay him n better wage
and live himself. Into the vexed question of
whether or no the young fellow who thus de-
lartH to find employment elsewhere really
t"tt"rs his osi ion at the Jar end have no
TN" I" enter ut length. Still. 1t must be re-
u" inferred that Is shillinGs or 81 a week al
Way sounds n good deal better than l. shil-
lngN OIL shil'irEs. and. however the thing
may work oTt ~ last, the young man who
strives to secure the his her wage is actuated
tya very proper and lauda bic ambition. We
cannot expect him 10 stop here and turn him
t"it into n p~'oughman If he thinks he can do
b"''cr elsewhere. He has his own interests to
Consult. like every individual among us. and he
mus not he blamed for consulting them.
Well. as this emigration is gong on. and 10
SOM way is not found to check it is likely to
- 'fe' ~ "'iN" "iliS W. - uhS a. lo
l'o'"ahIc results. As regards the land, they
seem to he that within the next twenty years
or s." a gr"a; deal Of the poorer soil-the very
hca'y and the very liGht-will go ont Of culti-
Vat'"n tho grass area will be largely increased.
while such lanes as remain arabic will have to
T." cultiyated by machinery directed by a few
highly nald mechanics. This. in its turn.
would mean that small fields must be done
eway with, sin CO steam ploughs. &c. cannot be
used in them to advantage. You can form
y'ur own opinion as to whether this prospect
IL ilensInG TO agriculturists or advantageous
I" the villages and small country towns which
a'c in process OF desertion.
Tho next question is: What will be the
eject on tho large towns toward which this
migration flows. and especially on London |
Lave from time to time been credited with
eomc powers OF imagination. but l confess
NAT tley fail me when / think OF this England
81 ours. spotted over with huge ovcrgrown
cues surrounded each Uf them by market
eardens and beyond by great stretches OF what
In Africa we should call veld-that is, unim-