Farm Labourers in Scoilaiid 



35 



return, to the croft system. If one desires to .see the 

 croft system in all its fuhiess, he has only to go to 

 Ireland. The increase in the size of farms is only a 

 necessary consequence of the increased capital among 

 the farming class, and of improvements in machinery, 

 and in general farm economy. The condition which 

 determine the size of farms are those of profitable 

 working, and the capabilities of the tenants to provide 

 the necessaiy capital. These conditions come to be 

 ascertained in the ordinary course of business ; and any 

 attempt, by legislation or other artificial means, to 

 regulate — either in enlarging or reducing — the size of 

 holdings would be mischievous, if not futile. The 

 matter must be left to the regulation of the market. 

 No landlord will throw his lands into large farms if 

 it did not pay him ; and if it pay him, better to have 

 large rather than small holdings, by what right is he 

 to be prevented from taking the course that \\-\\\ malce 

 the land the most productive ? 



If in these days crofts are not so plentiful as they 

 M-ere, there is on every large farm a post for a grieve ; 

 and we have not the least doubt that the position of 

 overseer on a large farm is one of far greater comfort 

 than that of the crofter, who reclaims and labours his 

 few barren acres. 



Admitting that a I'eturn to the crofter system is 

 either hopeless or inexpedient, Mr Fordyce submits a 

 case he met in Suffolk, where he found the co-operative 

 principle applied to farming. A proprietor, Mr Gur- 

 don, had let a farm of 133 acres, at a rent of ^194, to 

 twenty-one labourers, who chose a committee of their 

 owTi number to manage it. Seven of the men find 

 occupation on the holding, and the other fourteen 

 work on other farms. The plan seemed to have 

 worked well for both pi-oprietor and tenants, for it 

 had endured for a period of thirty years. There can 

 he no doubt that what is done in Suffolk may be 

 done in Aberdeenshire or Banffshire. But it will be 

 observed that Mr Fordyce is not anxious to begin 

 the experiment. Nor do we blame him. Why 

 should a landlord, of choice, make over a farm to a 

 score of men, and run the risk of their disagreeing 

 long before the end of a lease, when he can have 

 plenty of good offers from substantial men, whose 

 tenancy will give him no trouble whatever ? Further, 



it is to be pointed out that these twenty-one Suffolk 

 ploughmen must have had some little capital to begin 

 with ; and that being the case, as two-tliirds of them 

 were not employed on the farm, there is no very 

 pressing reason why they should not have invested 

 their savings in the nearest village co-operative store, 

 or in any other handy form of investment. Probably 

 they put it into a farm, because they knew that branch 

 of Inisiness ; and if so, the reason was of some value, 

 as it is always better to invest in a business of which 

 you know something, than in one of which you are 

 Ignorant. Still, even granting all this, it is evident that, 

 so far as regards bettering their condition, these econo- 

 mical Suffolk men might as well have put their savings 

 into any other good investment as into a farm. 



The consideration that they had each a " little 

 capital," underlies the whole question. It presupposes 

 economical habits ; for the laboureis must have saved 

 the money from their earnings. Can our farm 

 labourers save money? We are sure they can, 

 if they begin early. Of course, if a man gets 

 married before he has some pounds saved, he 

 may truly be said, in most cases, to have, as 

 Mr Fordyce observes, "miserable prospects." All 

 classes feel it necessaiy to exercise prudence in enter- 

 ing upon marriage ; and why should farm labourers 

 be alone improvident in this matter? Many trades- 

 men in country towns have no more wages in the 

 course of a year than " a first horseman;" and yet 

 tradesmen are seldom in such indigence as many of 

 the farm labourers' families. And why? Because 

 the trades lad saves a little money, and has a house 

 furnished before he marries. If the farm labourer 

 were equally prudent, would he not be equally com- 

 fortable ? 



The farm labourer may rely on it that he can only be 

 tndy "helped " by helping himself Let him avail him- 

 self of the many opportunities for acquiring knowledge 

 already, and certain soon to be more, within his- reach. 

 Let him read more, and let him save his earnings ; and 

 he vrill find himself gradually attaining a position when 

 one will no longer be able to speak of his " miserable 

 jDrospects," but when all will view with respect and 

 sympathy the growing comfort and intelligence of his 

 class. ] 



MR GIBBS' PLAN FOR BRVLVG CORN AND HA Y: 



THE apparatus which Mr Gibbs applies in his 

 drying process consists of a shed made in pieces 

 which can be readily taken apart, conveyed to any 

 desired spot, and there erected in an hour or two. .V 

 portable steam-engine, such as is now to be found on 

 all extensive farms, and a fanner or blo\\ ing apparatus 



* An extract from the Sci<-niiJ^c Amcricni:. 



are placed at one end of the shed. The flue of the 

 engine communicates with the indraught of the fanner, 

 and its outlet communicates by a metal channel with 

 the lower part of the shed. Thus, when the engine is 

 at work, and the fanner driven by it is in rapid rota- 

 tion, a blast of hot air is driven into the shed at suffi- 

 cient pressure to force its way through tlie interstices 

 of grass or hay laid at the mouth of the air channel. 



