304 MUTUAL BENEFITS 



Ancient records and present-day landmarks show 

 that this district was originally one of small hold- 

 ings. Consolidation into larger farms took place 

 at the time when this policy became general in the 

 middle of the century. As in other places, it 

 failed. The large farms were badly cultivated from 

 want of capital, their selling value fell one half, 

 and there was some difficulty in letting them. But 

 the remaining small holdings meanwhile held their 

 way, and were not affected by agricultural de- 

 pression to any great extent. Small holdings were 

 high-priced and high-rented. 



As a consequence of realizing the situation and 

 adapting himself to it, Mr. Eyre has contributed 

 his share in saving to the country a race of men 

 who would otherwise have died out, as they have 

 died elsewhere, and who would have been replaced 

 by a type of farmer who, with ordinary methods of 

 farming, with no understanding of how to work the 

 Forest, would not have made the land yield to its 

 uttermost, as it is doing at present. There is no 

 philanthropy about this it is business ; and while 

 benefiting this race of small holders, Mr. Eyre has 

 prevented the fall in value of his own property, 

 which would have otherwise inevitably taken 

 place. 



These reports do not pretend to do more than 

 give a very general idea of the amount of success 

 attending certain endeavours, on the part of a few 

 landowners, to deal with this question without the 

 expenditure of much capital. They give illustra- 



