LA ND-A GENTS. 6 1 



their employer with them .in all equitable 

 arrangements for maintaining the property in a 

 state of high agricultural efficiency, they perform 

 a most useful function, and add very greatly to 

 the welfare and comfort of all connected with 

 the estates which they administer. A very 

 eminent living authority rests the tenure of 

 property on the fulfilment of duty ; and a most 

 important part of that duty is to see that no 

 good land upon it is suffered by neglect or 

 mismanagement to remain unproductive. 



The third class comprises the agricultural The 



labourers 



labourers, who are necessarily much more 

 numerous than both landowners and tenants. 

 They cannot be said to have any other capital 

 than the furniture of their dwellings, their well- 

 acquired experience in all the details of hus- 

 bandry, and the bodily strength to use it. The 

 English labourer, of the southern counties 

 especially, has hitherto had but little education, 

 except in his business. The Scotch have had 

 their parish schools for three centuries, and the 

 Irish a national school system for the last forty 

 years. The legislation of 1876 has removed 



