WALKS IN THE WHEAT-FIELDS. 151 



gold abound, and every other metal, yet none of the 

 mines pay except the quicksilver. A rich soil is uncul- 

 tivated, and every natural advantage thrown away. 

 There are railways, and engines, and telegraphs, and 

 books, but the populace are still Spaniards, conservative 

 in traditions, and wedded to old customs ; often nominally 

 Republican, but in fact of the ancient creeds and ways. 

 Like this in lesser degree, everything among our green 

 leaves and golden wheat is in a confused mixture, at 

 once backwards and forwards, progressive and retrograde 

 Here is some of the best soil in the world, numerous 

 natural advantages, close proximity to immense markets, 

 such as London. There seem mines of gold and silver 

 in every acre, yet there is a crushing poverty among the 

 farmers, and exacting poverty among their dependants 

 the labourers. Every farm may be said to be within 

 reach of railway communication, yet the producers know 

 nothing of their customers. The country wishes new 

 land laws to abolish the last vestiges of feudalism, and 

 is beginning to unite against tithes, and in the 

 same breath votes Conservative and places a Con- 

 servative Government in office. It would break dow^n 

 the monopoly of the railways, and at the same time 

 would like a monopoly of protection for itself It has 

 learned to read and does not buy books. Science has 

 been shouted over the length and breadth of the land, 

 and chemistry, and I know not what, called to the 

 assistance of the farmer, and every day we are drift- 

 ing more and more backwards into the rule-of-thumb 

 methods of our forefathers. No anarchy, happily — 

 omitting that there is a strong resemblance to Spain. 

 For an instance, in the daily papers it has become as 

 common as possible to see an advertisement of farm- 

 house apartments to let Numbers of farm people look 



