86 ACllICULTURE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



more in proportion to liis liolding than tlie larger 

 farmer. 



Eor example. We were recently in a Midlands 

 tov/n, and vre found tlie " small men," wlio had 

 a little bit of laud, vrcre buying their offals at 

 the rate of Is. per 14 lb. That is ruination. 

 It means 8s. per cvrt., or £8 per ton, for sharps 

 and pollard. The adjoining farmers, however, 

 who bought in larger quantities, were paying 

 not more than £6 per ton. Now, if the former 

 were to pay from 8d. to Gd., instead of Is. per 

 14 lb. — v/hich is not at all an unreasonable sup- 

 position — they would, we venture to say, appre- 

 ciate the saving or the advantage much more 

 than the farmer, who under the same tariff 

 arrangements, would pay £3 to £4 per ton 

 instead of £G. 



The small man, however, may, as indeed many 

 do in the "West of England — particularly down 

 in Cornwall — grow potatoes for the early British 

 market. By dint of every cure the Cornishman 

 is able, shovild the season be favourable, to fore- 

 stall much of the foreign competition. If the 

 climatic conditions are adverse the foreigner gets 

 our markets, as was the case, in part, in 190'j. 

 The Britisher accordingly suffers a very serious 

 drav/back. Both political parties in the 

 State have for the last twenty years or 

 so had in view the encouragement (judged 

 by what they have both said) of the 

 allotments and small holdings systems, but 

 it sa}-s very little for those amongst them who are 



