ENGLISH FARMING 



PAGE 



tion of Improved Farming Practices — Services of Chemistry, 

 Geology, Mechanics, and Steam — Effect of Union of ' Science 

 with Practice ' upon Farmers, and other Classes connected 

 with Agriculture — Another Result of Union seen in Demand 

 for Compensation for Unexhausted Improvements — Statistical 

 Records of Agriculture ; Sir James Caird and Sir John Lawes 10+ 



CHAPTER XL 



AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION, 1873-87. 



New Element of Foreign Competition — Revival of old Com- 

 plaints — Gold a Factor in previous Eras of Adversity or 

 Prosperity, and a concurrent Cause in present Crisis with 

 Foreign Competition, Reckless Trading and Over-production 

 — Exceptional Demand for, and Decreasing Supply of Gold 

 — Depreciation of Silver — Full Pressure of Foreign Competi- 

 tion only felt after 1873— Low Prices the Problem of Modern 

 Farming — Effect of Crisis on Landlords, Farmers, and 

 Labourers — No True Distinction on score of Property possi- 

 ble between Money invested in Land and Money invested in 

 Funds — Danger of wild Theories of Land Nationalisation . 115 



CHAPTER XII. 



PEASANT PROPRIETORS. 



Peasant Proprietors the chief theoretical Remedy — Prevalence of 

 Distress among the Class in France and Germany — Impossi- 

 bility that Remedy can apply universally in England — Proof of 

 this fi-om Example of France ; special Conditions for Success 

 of Peasant Proprietary in Soil, Climate, or Domestic Indus- 

 tries—Objections against French System : excessive Sub- 

 division, Mortgage Debts, and scattered Parcels of Land — 

 Hardships of the Life of French Peasantry — Social and politi- 

 cal Advantages of System — Peasant Proprietary in France not 

 the Growth of Legislation — Futility of Attempts to create the 

 Class in England . 128 



