92 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



selves, and that even the declaredly Socialist Italian afflttanze 

 collettive, although renting in common, for the most part 

 make a practice of farming separately — a conduzione divisa 

 — disregarding the classical but not precisely encouraging 

 examples of Ralahine, Orbiston, Radbourne, and the early 

 Assingtons — seems to show pretty conclusively that sal- 

 vation does not lie altogether in that direction. 



However, our Socialists and Co-operators deserve credit 

 for having pretty clearly discovered the point at which our 

 machine grates. It is the duality of interest, such as for 

 so long a time hinderingly stopped the progress of Agricul- 

 ture in Ireland, which keeps us back in our turn. We 

 see how our Agriculture has broken down under the trial 

 of war in its role of a provider of food. In the two collabo- 

 rating parties, with often conflicting interests^ — the conflict 

 of which is needlessly aggravated by adherence to old 

 pretensions and crotchets out of keeping with the present 

 day — these advocates of " thoroughness " believe that they 

 see the two rival attorneys of the fable who share the dis- 

 puted oyster between them and hand only the empty 

 shells back to their clients. The position which the Co- 

 operative Community has taken up in the matter is of 

 decided significance. Those Co-operators may be wrong 

 in even main points. However, they represent over three 

 millions of thinking and resolute persons, well organised 

 and brigaded together for action, who have a curious knack 

 of heralding coming changes in public opinion and success 

 in whatever they take up. 



It is quite evident that our present land system, which 

 suited our youthful condition as well as does an Eton 

 jacket the slim figure of a boy, and which has rendered us 

 admirable service in the past, no longer suffices for our 

 fuller form. It does not sufficiently cover our nakedness. 

 Agriculture has become a totally different calling from what 

 it was when tenants were simply the landlord's retainers, 

 when there really was something of a " living " in tenancy, 

 that was " given " in truth as a matter of patronage. It 

 has become a business like other businesses, requiring special 

 aptitude, particular training, general intelligence, initiative 



