CHAPTER XL 



THE FUTURE. 

 Home pro- The questioii of the future for the landed inte- 



duction of 



bread and rests and the pubhc, in regard to the supply 



meat 



limited. of food, remains to be considered. The landlord 

 and the tenant will settle the rent between 

 them : with returning activity in trade the 

 wages of labour will increase, and that will be 

 followed by increased consumption of bread and 

 meat. Hitherto, there has been no correspond- 

 ing rise in the price of bread with that of 

 meat, because wheat has been poured in upon 

 us from fertile lands in distant countries, where 

 the cost of cultivation is small. The effect of 

 this on home agriculture has been to limit any 

 increase on our production of corn. In ten years, 

 indeed, the growth of corn has declined five per 

 cent., the diminution being entirely in wheat, and 

 that chiefly in Ireland. In other respects the 



I 



