CHAPTEE V. 



FIRST YEARS OF SUCCESS. 



JEFFERIES made his way to the fields through 

 the farmers first and the labourers next. 



He wrote a paper for Fraser's Magazine 

 (December, 1873) on the "Future of Farm- 

 ing," which attracted a considerable amount 

 of attention. The Spectator had an article 

 upon it. The paper is full of bold speculations 

 and prophecies ; as, for instance : 



" We. may, then, look to a time when farming 

 will become a commercial speculation, and will 

 be carried on by large joint- stock concerns, 

 issuing shares of ten, fifteen, or fifty pounds 

 each, and occupying from three to ten thousand 

 acres. Such companies would, perhaps, pur- 

 chase the entire sewage of an adjacent town. 

 Their buildings, their streets of cattle- stalls, 



