174 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



farm, he as aiaurodly at certain seasons has to run after 

 servants for harvest. This is a peculiar and unpre- 

 cedented state of things. The three classes no longer 

 rise or iall together, but one of them finds all the bur- 

 den on his own shoulders. He stands, as it were, 

 alone, without any of that customary sympathy from 

 the others, who, acting altogether independently of him- 

 maintain only their own rights and privileges. What, 

 ever the farmer may have lost in the last year or so, 

 neither landlord nor labourer have so far experieuced 

 anything like equal reverses. 



The recipe is, on the whole, a somewhat startling 

 one. Obviously the first means of reducing the employ- 

 ment of expensive manual labour is in the increased use 

 of machinery. We live in the very age for the 

 ready adoption of such a substitute. But our 

 northern friend couples with this an equally de- 

 cisive step to counteract the eflPects of the times. 

 If labour is high have less of it; and if corn 

 is low, grow less of it. One, indeed, would directly 

 tend to the other. We repeat, however, that this 

 sounds rather strangely with the necessity for in- 

 creased production of which we have heard so much of 

 late. But it isput and repeated with much emphasis : — 

 " We have no hesitation in saying that, if present prices 

 of larm produce and present rates of wages continue, 

 farmers will be compelled to reduce the demand by 

 throwing more land into grass, or using more machinery 

 on their farms." And again :— " The course of the ara- 

 ble farmer is clear — he must raise less corn, which is 

 not so profitable now, and, throwing more into grass, 

 resort to the dau-y or the rearing of stock. By this 

 means, too, he will reduce his labour account, which 

 is the gTeat difficulty he has to contend with, swallow- 

 ing up all his profit." As to farms recently let at ex- 

 travagant rents — this, even in the face of the fancy for 

 them by amateurs and merchants, is an evil that must 

 soon correct itself. " Even the most energetic and 

 skilful management will scarcely produce a satisfac- 

 tory balance sheet;" and "we do not claim any 

 credit for foresight when we predict an approaching 

 crisis in the agricultural interest." 



It has been often our duty to expose the utter fal- 

 lacy which would attribute tlie more recent welfare of 

 agriculture to any legislative enactment. This, on the 

 contrary, has arisen almost entirely from a combination 

 of circumstances of which the most far-seeing of poli- 

 ticians had not tlie slightest idea. In those lengthy 

 debates on the corn laws, did friend or foe for a moment 

 contemplate such events as the discovery of the gold 

 fields, the consequent emigration of our people to flou- 

 rishing colonies, or tlieir employment in more than one 

 gi-eat war ? With such incentives and customers farmins 

 could not but do well ; and many thinking men agree with 

 the writer of the paper we have referred to, " that the 

 great experiment of free trade on British agriculture 

 is only now about to be tried." So far, its influence 

 has been of a very negative character, and those 

 who promised prosperity or prophesied ruin have 

 alike but little to take credit for. The test is 

 yet to be applied. " We ask farmers to exercise their 

 own judgment in the case : let them turn to their books, 

 and see what years, during the period irom 18."»0 to 

 1857, have been the most prosperous. We allude of 

 course here only to arable farmers. They will find, 

 doubtle.-s, that the end of 185:3 and 1854-55 — and m 

 some parts of the kingdom where tlie harvests were fa- 

 vourable, 1850 — were their best years. Now, free- 

 trade existed during these years; but it existed also 

 during 1850, 1851, 185-2, and it cxis^ts now ; and why 

 is there such a difference in the circumstances of the 

 farmer in these last-mentioned years and in the former, 

 as indicated by his books ? It will be recollected that 

 during the summer of 1853, negociations were going 



on witli Russia; and that, as the year wore on, the re- 

 lationships between the negotiating countries became 

 more and more critical, till the climax Mas reached in 

 the spring of 1854, when war was proclaimed. It 

 raged with fury till the autumn of 1855, when it may 

 be said to liave been virtually concluded ; but the effects 

 of it in high prices C(mtinued f<ir some time after. 

 Surely no one will deny that the principal cause of the 

 prosperity of tlie farmer during these years was the 

 Russian War." 



It will be said that this view of the present condition 

 of agriculture is not a very sanguine one. It is taken, 

 however, by a man who evidently feels his case, and 

 who argues rationally and dispassionately. Just at 

 present the whole burden is on the farmer. The public 

 generally are prone to think only of his flourishing times 

 and rarely inclined to make any allowance for his re- 

 verses. Butjlandlords, we hope, will not be led away from 

 the actual facts, even though they still for a while may 

 command high rents and ready tenants. Let them re- 

 member how this competition has arisen, or rather yet 

 continues — " from merchants and others who, having 

 made money at their business, entering the lists of 

 offerers for farms, and carried away by the wild state- 

 ments of some enthusiasts of what science can do for 

 agriculture, and as to the present laggards of farmers." 

 But laggards those who know them best know they are 

 not. Never has the cause progressed so much as during 

 the few past years. It may be maintained, on this, 

 that they should now be able to face and withstand 

 some little adversity. As it is, they have manfully with- 

 stood much already. And if, moreover, recent legistation 

 is still an experiment, we are quite willing to allow 

 the cultivators of the soil are better prepared to receive 

 it than on its first introduction. Their prejudices have 

 worn down, and they are both better in heart and in 

 head. They cannot, however, continue with pre- 

 sent prices thus in every way against them. There 

 must be relief from some quarter. Either they must 

 expend less in labour, and more in machinery, or the 

 price of produce must again rise. Above all, however 

 strong the landlords may feel in their own position, let 

 them not witlihold their consideration till it is too 

 late. The interests of the two classes are altogether 

 identical, and in any time of difficulty it is the great 

 duty of one to think how he may assist and encourage 

 the ot her. 



GRAIN PRICES FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. 



Sir, — It may be interesting to note the average prices of 

 wheat, barley, and oats during the last fifteen years; and 

 the following table, based on oflicial returns, will illustrate 

 the great fluctuations to which agricultural produce has been 

 subjected in this period. The calcidation refers to the 

 twelve months between the 1st of December and the 30th 

 of November in each case : — 



Average Price of 

 ,r AVheat. Barley. Oats. 



^ '"'"''• s. d. 8. d. s. d. 



1844 51 8 .... .33 (i .... 20 4 



1845 49 10 .... 31 10 .... 22 4 



184*; 54 5 .... 31 9 .... 23 5 



1847 70 5 .... 45 3 .... 29 1 



1848 50 2 .... 31 5 .... 20 9 



1849 43 6 .... 28 2 .... 17 8 



1850 40 3 .... 23 8 .... 1(J 4 



1851 38 8 .... 24 (J .... 18 6 



1852 40 3 .... 28 3 .... 19 1 



1853 50 11 .... 32 1] .... 20 5 



1854 72 5 .... 3G 5 .... 27 8 



1855 73 11 .... .34 2 .... 27 6 



185(; 70 10 .... 40 11 .... 25 5 



1857 57 4 .... 42 8 .... 25 1 



1858 44 10 .... 35 .... 24 6 



The relatively high prices still maintained by wheat and 

 barley will not escape attention. , Z. 



