V AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES 95 



owing to enclosures, and to raise the cry, ' Back to the land.' 

 The common field was doomed. But some wastes still 

 remained, and these it was hoped might be saved. 

 Accordingly we now meet with Acts of Parliament to 

 regulate and sometimes to prevent enclosure. 



Tims, between 1876 and 1889 there were only seventy- 

 three applications, and of these two-thirds were rejected. 

 Between 1889-1902 there were only six, of which one 

 was rejected; and during the whole period (1876-1902), 

 nearly twenty-six years, the total enclosed only amounted 

 to some 29,000 acres^ By the Act of 1893 no lord was to 

 'approve' the waste, and no waste was to le enclosed 

 without the consent of the Board of Agriculture. 1 Thus, 

 in the closing years of the nineteenth century agricultural 

 England finally, for better or for worse, assumed her 

 modern aspect. 



it In dealing with the results of enclosure, we must keep 

 in mind the distinction between enclosure of the common 

 fields and enclosure of the waste, and with regard to both 

 beware of too readily accepting the exaggerated statements 

 of advocates and of opponents. 2 



1 Cf. Hunter, Statistical Soc., no. 60. 

 a For the whole controversy, see especially 



a. In favour of enclosure : Kent, Hints to gentlemen ; Hewlett, 

 Enclosures a cause of improved agriculture, 1787 ; Horner, Essay 

 on enclosures, 1766; Arbutlmot, Enquiry into connection between 

 present prices and size of farm?, 1773 ; A. Young, Political 

 Arithmetic ; Bentham, Works, i. 342, viii. 449. 



0. Against enclosures : J. Cowper, Essay proving enclosure contrary 

 to interests of the Nation, 1732 ; Stephen Addington, An enquiry 

 into the reasons for and against enclosures, Coventry, 1767. 

 The following anonymous pamphlets in the British Museum : T. 1494, 

 1950, An inquiry into advantages and disadvantages resulting from 

 Bills of Enclosure, 1780; Anon., A political enquiry into the ad- 

 vantages, &c., 1785 ; Cursory remarks on Enclosures, 1786. A. Young, 

 who is generally in favour of enclosures, has some criticisms especially 

 in Farmers' Letter-", pp. 94, 181 ; Annals, vol. 36, 1801, p. 515; vol. 



