158 THE LANDED INTEREST. 



wheat crop since 1868 has been one of diminish- 

 ing acreage, and acreable produce, but attended 

 by such increasing importations as have kept the 

 supply close upon six bushels a head. 



Nothing like the present depression among 

 the farmers has been seen since the repeal of 

 the corn laws. There have not before been 

 so many farms thrown on the market, and 

 never till now in our time have been seen in 

 England farms tenantless and uncultivated. 

 The continued rain and low temperature of 

 1879 not only acted destructively on the corn 

 and green crops, but damaged the hay crop be- 

 yond measure, and over many English counties 

 left behind it the seeds of disease, which, in 

 the winter and spring carried off by rot many 

 thousands of the sheep stock. The inferior 

 quality of the fodder crops shows itself in the 

 reduced condition of all kinds of live stock. 

 In nine years there have been seven defective 

 harvests, the last culminating in intensity, and 

 including in its grasp a portion of the animal 

 in addition to the vegetable produce of the 

 land. It is no comfort to the British farmer 



