The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-15
BACK TO THE LAND.

Something seems to be the matter with
rural England. So strong has been the
tide of emigration from the farm to the
city, that the rural districts are in serious
danger of being depopulated. The beau
tiful country life of England is in danger
of humiliation.
Rider Haggard has devoted the last six
months to personal investigation of the
conditions of English farm life He has
Travelled afoot and by horse from place
to place, gathering the minutest details
affecting the subject In hand. These ne
has given to the press from time to time.
He now comes out with his conclusions.
They are anything but reassuring In
fact, lhe asserts that the agricultural
problem of England is unsolvable. He
sees objects in the way that cannot be
overcome and that the fertile land of the
historic island will revert back to ma
tIre
The reasons given are that with the
rent exaeted from the tenants, and the
prices of food stuffs which are establish
ed by the importers, it is impossible for
the tiller of the soil to make more than a
bare living. As the price of agricultural
productions abroad is constantly falling
in response to the cheaper methods of
production and the improved methods of
transportation, the English farmer will
have to be protected or give up his vo-
cation. He cannot live by it.
Rider Haggard is a good romancer but
We cannot help but question his conclu-
sions on English agricultural matters
An investigation by philosopher would
no doubt result In quite another concIu-
this distance sees that he has passed
over two vital peints-peints which are
alone sufficient to be the cause of the
whole difficulty. Rents and poor farming.
Granting that the soil Is good, it follows
that if the farmer be not handicapped by
an ancient system of rents and possesses
the skill Of the scientific American farm
er he need fear no competition from the
foreigner, SO far as the products of the
soil are concerned The evident trouble
is that England is trying to maintain in
the twentieth century the land tenures
of the feudal system and by following
the agricultural methods of a century
past, compete with the scientific farming
of today.
Rider Haggard complains of scarcity
of labor caused by the desire of rural
folk to seek the city. Very true, that
scarcity of labor will exist until the con-
ditions under which rude labor is COM
PEELED to exist in England are removed
land, introduce few hundred graduates
of the agricultural colleges of the United
States into the proposition. Let the soil,
climate and products be studied with a
view to adaptation. Abolish the hoe and
the man With the hoe and place in their
stead the cultivator and the educated
man VI W oiiiS. VNdhe VI oil HOiA-
orable occupation, followed by men of
education and refinement. Brains are the
best of fertilizers in England as well as
the United States
Rider Haggard in speaking of protec-
ton for the farmer very justly observed
that such a law would not be tolerated
That the British public has become used
to cheap food stuff and an attempt to
raise the price for the benefit of class
would end in opposition and riots. This
situation in England shows, as nothing
else can, the utter absurdity of our sys-
tenn of agricultural protection. The
tariff of transportation is ample protec-
tion for any industry that is indigenous
to the soil. To raise oranges and figs in
Minnesota successfully would require
protection, as does the raising of beet
sugar. All are forced products, but Min
nesota can compete with other states and
other countries in.those things which are
adapted to her climate and soil. New
England was compelled to quit corn rails
ing when Illinois, Iowa and Kansas en-
tered the field. The abandoned farms of