14 Large and Small Holdings 



It was no wonder that as the profitableness of these branches of 

 farming decreased corn-growing gained in importance. As early as 

 1778 Forbes wrote of the "universal passion for cultivating wheat 1 ," 

 and Arthur Young thought it exceptional to meet, when on his 

 tours, a few farmers who preferred to take pasture-land rather than 

 arable 2 . 



Wherever possible the attempt was made to give up the now 

 unprofitable pasture-farming in favour of corn-growing. A period 

 began in which the most beautiful pastures were broken up for 

 plough-land, even if they would only produce the smallest results 

 under wheat 3 . Land which was entirely unsuitable for corn, but had 

 made the most excellent pasture, was turned into arable in view of 

 the price obtainable for wheat 4 . The profits resulting from the growth 

 of corn, says a writer in 1780, "were so great and so immediate, to 

 landlord as well as tenant, that every other species of produce was 

 not only diminished, but as it were sacrificed, to the design of reaping 

 the superior advantages resulting from the increase of this com- 

 modity. For this purpose the farmer converted every nook and 

 corner of his land into arable ; and even the cottager forsook his one 

 little ewe lamb, and turned his scanty orchard into tillage 5 ." The 

 gains made by the change were enormous. It was said that 

 individual farmers often made as much as ,18,000 to 20,000 in 



1 Forbes, op. cit. p. 185. 



2 Annals of Agriculture, Vol. xxvni, 1797, p. 631. 



* Cp. J. Wimpey, Thoughts on Several Interesting Subjects, 1770, p. 38: " 'Tis 

 allowed on all hands, the passion for converting pastures and meadows into tillage lands 

 never ran so high as of late." Also M. Peters, Agricultura, 1776, p. 172 : "The present 

 passion is all for tillage and to explode pasture." Arthur Young stated before a Select 

 Committee of the House of Commons (Report relating to the Corn Laws, July 1814, 

 p. 86) : " In the cow district of Suffolk, which is extensive, where ten cows were kept 

 thirty years ago, there is not now more than one. The high price of corn has set the 

 plough to work in every farm, and I have seen the same thing in other parts of the kingdom : 

 whilst the price of corn was high no lease was treated for without a petition from the 

 tenant to break up grass-land." See also Farmer's Letters, p. 137. 



4 H. E. Strickland, A General View of the Agriculture of the East Riding of Yorkshire, 

 York, 1812, p. 105: "On the Wolds, a country peculiarly adapted to sheep, and from 

 various circumstances unfavourable to corn, particularly to wheat, a stranger would be 

 surprised to see at this time at least two-thirds of the land under the plough." And 

 p. 1 06 : "Unfortunately those beautiful sheep-walks and pastures, which the eatage of 

 so many ages had rendered verdant and fertile beyond any to be met with on the other 

 downs or heaths of the kingdom, held out an irresistible temptation to modern avarice, and 

 under the plea of improvement they have been ploughed out." 



8 An Enquiry into the Advantages and Disadvantages resulting from the Bills of 

 Enclosure, 1780, p. 73. Arthur Young reports similarly of the very small farmers in 

 Oxfordshire. See A General View of the Agriculture of Oxfordshire, 1809, p. 23. 



