CHAPTER VI 



THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE REVIVAL OF 

 SMALL FARMING 



IN order to trace the causes which have led to a development in 

 the matter of agricultural holdings diametrically opposed to that 

 which had become traditional, it is necessary to consider the profits 

 made on the various types of holding. For so far as landlords were 

 influenced by economic motives, it was by the question as to which 

 unit of holding would afford them, not of course simply the highest 

 nominal rent, but the highest net income. From the middle of the 

 eighteenth century till about 1880 they had favoured the large farm, 

 because it paid the highest rent per acre and at the same time 

 demanded least expenditure on repairs and administration. But with 

 the agricultural crisis of 1880 onwards the conditions were radically 

 altered. 



The Commissions of 1880 and 1894 paid much attention to the 

 question whether large or small farms had suffered most under the 

 crisis. The minutes of evidence show that opinions were fairly 

 evenly divided on the point. Many witnesses, especially those who 

 may be ranked as champions of the small holding, alleged the 

 higher rents per acre paid by the small farms 1 to prove that they 

 were most profitable to the landlord. Of course this did not follow. 

 Before such a conclusion could be drawn information must be given 

 as to the relative fertility of soil, the cost of buildings and repairs, the 

 cost of administration and various other points. Fortunately, how- 

 ever, other more trustworthy indications were offered of the causes 

 which were moving landlords to favour the small farm system. 



The Reports, the Minutes of Evidence, the publications and press 

 discussions on the question agree in showing that after 1880 there 

 was increasing difficulty throughout the country in letting large farms 

 at all. At one time no holding could be too large. Now in many 



1 For some examples see Lawry, in Journal R. A. S., 1892, pp. 391 ff. 



