SHORTCOMINGS OF OUR AGRICUT.TURE. 23 



Norfolk " had made imitation of their own high farming 

 by their hesitating tenants " compulsory " by raising their 

 rents. England was then to some extent already the 

 Tom Tiddler's ground, deserving of imitation, of Germans. 

 Hence in the main the impulse accepted from us was received 

 and welcomed on economic grounds. British farming 

 became the special model for German agriculturists. To 

 be an Englishman and an agriculturist then meant to be 

 received with open arms everywhere among the German 

 farming community, and to be credited with an intuitive 

 knowledge of the mysteries of high farming. Professor 

 Stockhardt, who, as the friend of our Lawes and Gilbert, 

 had learnt much at Rothamsted— which he exerted himself 

 to apply with profit at the first experimental station known 

 in Germany, founded by himself at Mockern — was foremost 

 in extolling British ways of farming. However, you might 

 then hear the praises of our farmers and their judicious 

 and businesslike ways sung at every agricultural college 

 and every agricultural meeting. It was then that Short- 

 horns, and Southdowns, and Yorkshire pigs became popular 

 in Germany. And so did English implements, a very 

 complete catalogue of which, elucidated by admirable 

 illustrations and explanations, Dr. Lobe, of the Agricultural 

 College of Liitzschena, brought out. German implement 

 making was still a thing to be rather laughed at, and machi- 

 nery was practically non-existent. It brings an involuntary 

 smile to my face to think of the early German thrashing 

 machines and reapers — resembling a Googe's " reaping car " 

 — which I then saw. Also our pedigree seed breeding 

 attracted marked attention. There were two points in 

 our farming— only the best of it — which greatly impressed 

 Germans. One was our " high " farming — which they 

 translated by the word ' ' intensive. ' ' They had, as observed, 

 up to that time deliberately starved their soil. The other 

 was the " businesslike " view which our farmers were 

 supposed to take of farming, which to the routine-bound 

 Germans came as a revelation — calculating what paid and 

 what did not. Their enthusiasm for this way of looking 

 at their calling carried them even into admiration of what 



