98 AGRTCFLTTJRE AND TARIFF REFORM. 



produce will be sold at the same rates as now? 

 Are foreigners devoid of cuteness, or is it not 

 we ourselves wlio are devoid of that quality? 

 AVhere comes in that " natural level " of prices 

 (which Cobden wanted) when by an unnatural 

 process the farmer is " robbed " of his own market 

 here, and is not allowed by the " robbers " to 

 enter theirs? It is certain that no British in- 

 dustry can stand for ever this form of " robbery " 

 which the Cobdenites nowadavs think is fair 

 " competition." 



Faem Better. 



This is a favourite suggestion of some people, 

 and doubtless it embodies a modicum of sense, 

 inasmuch as most of us know land which could 

 be farmed better than it is, or than it appears to 

 be. 



It is, however, worth while to hear what Sir 

 John Lawes (the greatest British agricultural 

 scientist and practical farmer) a few years since 

 stated on this particular point, especially as his 

 argument is, if anything, more valuable to-day 

 than at the time it vras uttered. He said: — 

 " It is generally supposed, and has often been 

 said, that the lower the prices of our agricul- 

 tural crops, particularly of wheat and barley, 

 we ought to grow more and more. Unfortun- 

 ately, the result of all our experiments, which 

 are very extensive, is that the reverse is the lav.-. 

 As you increase your crops so each bushel after 

 a certain amount costs you more and more. There- 



