SCIENCE WITH PRACTICE, 1845 TO 1873 111 



rests undisturbed. Three beasts were fatted upon land 

 which, as pasture, barely supported one. During this 

 period, from 1845 to 1873, most of these practices and 

 appliances became widely known if not generally adopted. 

 At the same time commodious buildings were erected; 

 holdings were enlarged ; small fields were thrown to- 

 gether, admitting light and air to the land, economising the 

 time of the labourer, and saving expenses of repairs and gates. 

 But the most conspicuous improvement was the change 

 among farmers themselves. The class rapidly advanced 

 as it was recruited from men of skill, enterprise, and 

 capital, open to new ideas, quick to accept new discoveries, 

 able and willing to try experiments. Good roads, good 

 homesteads, good crojDS, good stock, and good farmers became 

 the rule rather than the exception. The union of science 

 and practice has, in other respects, borne abundant fruit. 

 It has created a new industry, and a new class of persons 

 connected with farming ; it has not only increased the 

 amount, but lessened the cost of production, and thus freed 

 the rural population to supply the demand for artisan 

 labour; it has attracted capital into the land, and made 

 the recognition of tenant right an indispensable necessity. 

 Between 1851 and 1881 agricultural students increased 

 from 104 in 1851 to 728 in 1881, agricultural implement 

 proprietors and workers from 55 to 4,260, the land drainage 

 service from 11 to 1,695. On the other hand, though the 

 produce as well as area under cultivation is greatly 

 increased since 1801, the agricultural population has 

 declined. In 1811 it was 34 per cent, of the whole ; in 

 1821, 32 ; in 1831, 28 ; in 1841, 22 ; in 1851, 16 ; in 1861, 

 10 ; in 1871, and still more in 1881, not only rela- 

 tively but actually the total number ' of agricultural 

 ' See Appendix VII., Census Returns of Agricultural Classes. 



