202 LAND REFORM 



writer, states that the soil of Flanders was originally 

 pure sand, and that it has been brought into its pre- 

 sent fertile condition by the labour and efforts of the 

 peasantry. 



It is further argued that the progress of agriculture 

 in France is due to protection. But on examination 

 this will be found not to be the case. Protection in 

 France has varied very much. Up to 1853 there 

 were duties on a sliding scale imposed on the importa- 

 tion of corn ; but up to 1849 protection existed also in 

 England, and high prices prevailed for several years 

 after its abolition. 



From 1853 to the time (1877) ^^^- Richardson 

 wrote his account of the flourishing state of agriculture 

 in France, imports of wheat into that country were 

 practically free, and continued to be so up, to 1884. 

 In 1885 the effect of foreign imports began to be 

 severely felt, and the French agriculturists, who — 

 thanks to their system — were so largely synonymous 

 with the French people, determined to defend their 

 great industry from the ruinous effects of foreign com- 

 petition. In that year 5s. 2d. per quarter import duty 

 was put on foreign wheat. In the succeeding years 

 that duty was increased, till in 1894 it was fixed at 

 I2S. 2d., at which sum it has since remained. 



It is curious to notice, in passing, the large extent 

 to which the price of wheat is governed by causes 

 quite apart from protection. During the eighteen 

 years (i 885-1 902) in which the duty on wheat im- 

 ported into France was from 5s. 2d. to 12s. 2d. per 

 quarter, the official average price in that country was 

 13s. per quarter less than during the previous eighteen 

 years, when the duty was only is. id. 



Again, taking the nine years (i 894-1 902) during 



