14 POPULATION 



rose more rapidly than in the period of 

 most migration. In any case, the statistics 

 make it impossible to contend that migration 

 has followed the state of wages. Nor can 

 any correspondence be traced between depo- 

 pulation and the conversion of small into 

 large farms. When the greatest decline took 

 place the number of farmers was increasing. 

 In the only decade when a distinct drop oc- 

 curred in the number of farmers — namely, in 

 1871-81, when they declined from 250,000 to 

 224,000 — the decrease of labourers was less 

 than half that which occurred in 1861-71, 

 when the number of farmers increased. In 

 like manner the demand "for labour in towns 

 and the attraction of high wages fail to 

 account for the facts, though some corres- 

 pondence can be traced. For instance, rural 

 migration fell off markedly in the very 

 depressed industrial period between 1881 

 and 1891 ; but, on the other hand, 1861-71 

 was also mainly a depressed decade, and 

 1871-81 one of unequalled prosperity until 

 towards its close ; yet the rural decHne was 

 more than twice as great in the former. Nor 

 is the exceptional decrease in 1861-71 

 accounted for by the conversion of arable 

 into pasture land. The statistical tables given 

 by Mr. Prothero show that between 1866 and 

 1871 the area under corn crops in England 

 and Wales increased from 7,886,244 to 



