I I.A8ANT PROPRIETORSHIP 



TWa MM hi * type of a most numerous 

 rU. wha*e aim U to to bieome small farmer*. 

 and who. wild that MM! in view, work hard and 

 prarti*e UM >! limit and |ren*verance. 



In limit llriuin thr amount <>( tock per acre 

 ranifd <M wnall holdinpi i larger with tli<- <-\ 

 MMto* of shorn thsn that carried on a nimilar 

 arm o( Un.l in larj.e farms. Table* compiled 

 In UM writer fmro the agricultural returns at 

 .'rrt Britain. ami printed in the evidence given 

 Udurs; the Select Committee on Small Holdings 

 ( IIM* 1 , show that the arra of land in fJreat Britain 

 cultivated in Miiall holding* of I acre to 100 acres 

 in about the Mine a* the area cultivated in large 

 farm* of 900 acre* and upward*, the area tteing 

 al.mt J and | million acre* respectively. The 

 lahle* .now that the .mall holding. carry 511,038 

 hotsa*. the Urge farm* 314.016: cow* anil <>I)KT 

 cattle 2,ti.*l a* apunt 1.227.904 : tiigi I.I78.SOO 

 m against 383.U6. Only in cheep is the advantage 

 bowa to be with the lam farm*. It EMMHM 

 happen* that cases showing the failure of t i,tt 

 emit on refer really to nuiall cultivator* who hold 

 their land on a yearly tenancy or mime other un 

 certain tenure, a class altogether dintinct from 

 and larking; the t'axntial condition* of peasant 

 proprietors. The great prosperity of agriculture 

 in Denmark. ami the hum and increaaiug export* 

 of batter, eggs, cattle, pin, &e. from that .ui.trt 

 are due to the fart that the great Imlk of the liunl 

 i> cultivated !> owner*, mainly )>y peasant pro 

 Drietor* of farm* from > to l> am*. Mr.lcnkin* 

 give* interacting example*, not exceptional, of 

 ou* highly cultivated pnuuuil farm* in I >--M 

 One mall owner of 50 acre* of land Ui-|>t 

 cow*, fed eighteen pig* annually, and 

 two hone* to work the arahle land. The 

 whole family wa* employed on the farm or in 

 the dairy. The dairy, though -mull. I-' liy 14 feet, 

 wa* a perfect *ight for order, cleanliness, and for 

 UM complete though inexpensive chara. ter of the 

 arrangements and appliances. The majority of the 

 ajrrirultaral labourers in Denmark pone** a 

 < ith a few acre* of land, either hi* own or on lease. 

 In (iermanv the agrarian re.'orm* inaugurate.! by 

 Stein and Hardenberg early in the Huh <t-nturv, 

 and eonUnnnl n: <latf, for the piniiiotion 



4 ntltivaliaic ownendiip in land, were uinloiilit<-<llv 

 UM grmimdwork of the *U<engtii and wilidity of the 



In .liraet connection with the ul.j.vt of peamnt 

 proprivtorahip U the fart of HritainV Krrat and in 

 nKdmndenee on foreign cnuntrien fora 



of the mafW axirle. of I... I |u~.,.| ( M1 ,t. vege- 

 tahlm. honey. Howero, &c, . Uie itn|iorlatioii of win. I, 

 MJT*^ hMWMntakX, the vaJiio<>flh<- follow iii K nrlirl.v 



. ... , |M | ,- kj |..'.,.., 



ClkMM above 44 million . ImtK-r aUne |ii| million ; 

 Marnrine above 1^ million ; lard aU>ve .' million : 

 poultry, game, an.l ml.l.n. n l..i . :i| million : damn 

 and iiam. alve Of million . |,ik. |>,i.-itom. and 

 nntna* al.ive a million : ^-. ).,> .1 nullio,. 

 .I if- the enornuMi* a|grrKal value of :MI million 



/ jwifl annnallv i.. die forei|rner for tlnw 

 -i.i.iki arttrlrn of food, for the prtln. (ion of whii-h 



il and climate of Kn k -lnil aiv for the i,,.-! 

 lrt pvrtally flttMl. In the fan- of , Inoiiii- rom 

 |.lint frf rtriiltutl .Irprtion. tin- ,-i. t volume 



i* allowrd I.M-I into the haniU of the ninall 

 iilti<r.lnr ahrnad The rMUHin i that (In- yt'-in of 

 lam farming i not a.lxpt| t., U,,. .upply of t !,. 

 MM Tttf larut- farmer who raiam 'corn and 

 rnl raniH.i fMienwfnllr compete ith the ..mall 

 gmw*r who arrnrtomul to minuu- and intensive 

 MllivaUoa. CxMant proprietnr*hip i* a separate 

 and fliirttnet Ku.innw. The mn.li lion* of it* micveMi 



~ |^r-mal atUntion. hanl nrk. ami the 

 irtrtml frugality. The peaaant cultivator employ* 



' hintl lulioiir, every IIICIII|N<I of tlu> family 



Illl ' I,:!,,' UM ll.i "II ! bt ' ' " I ..... li!./. I '"' 



.lyiMn develop* a handine**, a fertility of rewnin-i -. 

 an adaptation of MUMII- lo ,-nn-. um! itn iiiretwant 

 imliiKtry. i|iialitn hanlly to ! r\|wcte<l in conncc 

 tion with liinil l.ilinii \- IIUIIIT nl hix little 



the |x-aKiint pioi>iirtor him no ni,tiii-tiiii>~ 

 auto flopping or nMUOMOf i-nltiv.'iiion. He has 

 no .limlit- alMiut rom|MMiMttiiiii for iinexhaUHteil 

 maiiureii and iniprovi-iiifnt.-. ami no unn rluinu as 

 to tfimre. A* a xninll owner who for iiiiiny \iai- 

 ha* lived on and guccefully cultivated a few acres 

 of lain! remarked to the pi.-i-nt writer 'The more 

 I care for anil work mv laml tin- mote it n\\ft- me 

 back: my little fann i- my Imnk in \\liic-li I put 

 my laUmrand saving-. hi. li it pays me lick ith 

 good intereot.' It IK often Miiil that tin ill. prudence, 

 and perseverance are pi-niliiii lo the pea.*aiit pn> 

 on the Continent, and are the cause of his 



sprees* The hUtory of peasant propiiet, isliip, 

 however, allows that these <|Ualities ale I IIP result 

 ami not the CHUM' of cull it atiii^' ownership. Im 

 proviilent lialiit-. fin It mai lia^cx, and lit lie thought 

 for the morrow an* the too ire<|iient Moonipnoimetit* 

 of a condition in which there i no proKpet-t in life 

 l that of meie wa^e iit-eiter. Th- 

 oi Micce. nf IH a-. int proprietonhip is H 



uii lit Aii. .in Smith in a .-inking pa.s.sai r e in his 

 \\Hillli nj ,\ nl, i, us A Miiall propiieloi who knows 

 every part of hi* little tcnitory, who tietts it with 

 all the affection which piop'-ity, esiM-cially si.::.; I 

 pio|H-rty, naturally inspiies. ami who upon that 

 account takes pleasure not only in cultivating Imt 

 in adorning it. i peiierHlly o'f all impiovcis the 

 most imliistiioiiK, the most intelligent, ami the 

 moHt HUccessftil.' The two great druwliacks of 

 peasant nraorittonUp are exceoxive MiUliv isioii 

 ami the linllmit<il jMivverof mortgage. The hum 

 linnj;er ef|KH-ially in 1'iance is so great that the 

 piopiielor of a few acres will Kiihniit to a.iy piiva 

 tit Hi to .ave money, ami ttill Utrrow nt any 'rate, in 

 order to aci|iiiie more land. The nioiiev lemlei on 

 the I .. ntim nt. like the ' ^iiin)i)fii ' man in liehiml, 

 is the chief cantte of tiouhle and ditliculty to the 

 small cultivator. The cieation of a pca-sant pm 

 |.i-iet<ithi|. in (.real liiitain, though much dis<'iiss. ,1, 

 liiu. not till recently U-en si'iiouslv enteitaim-il as 

 a practical ijueMion. In Isv.i the pivernment 

 ap|K,inliil a S-leel I oiniiiittee on Small Holdings, 

 ami the evidence ointaim- piadical inforniation on 

 the vaiioiiM :i.s|^-,-i of iK'aant piopiietoifhip. ami 

 on the applicability of the system to deal llrilain. 

 The commit t<-e in their 'lioport (IS\H) unani 

 i ..... ily rifomineml that facilities shonlil IM- c.iven 

 for the creation ol small holdings, anil they 

 ailopl the |.Hiiciples ..| Mr Jesse ColliiiL-w' Small 

 llolilinpi Kill. The i^eneial plot isi.uis of thin dill 

 are a* rbUoWBI l.m-al authoritien aie empo\teii-il 

 liv molieyii lM>rmwed fin that piir|Mise from the stale, 

 toacfjiiiie huiil and to s,.|| ||,,. s;t ..... in small hoMin^x 

 n-oeiu-h. I'uif hawrrtare rei|iiiieil 

 to |>ay ilown a proof ol tin n Imna Jiilrx a portion 

 fourth or one-fifth of thepm 



money. A pail of the dalam i to ! paiil oil d\ 

 annual payment", hut the remninder a small pn. 

 lntioii of tl ...... iKinal cost is to remain at a JKT- 



IH-IIIH! fen or .put rent. Thix protisioii, while it 



the Miiall holder to a peat extent from 



the money lender, at the mine time make* the 



ten ..... f purchane as easy as pnwihlc. It also 



enalilf" the local authority to ent.,i.. the condi- 

 tion* provided a^aim-l Midletling ami sulxliv ision. 

 The ! ul authorities are further empowered tit Irt 

 land on favouradle eomlitioiiH in Kinall holdinp* not 

 1C 1" acre- each. The re|Mirt of the Select 

 Committee declare* that the extenxion of small 

 ownership* 'in a matter of national imp.. 

 both in the intere.it, of the rural |>opiilatioii. and 



