50 THE LAND AND ITS PROBLEMS 



In the main, as would be expected, he is conservative 

 in poUtics, while the men he employs are largely liberal. 

 The farmer and the labourer to a very large extent have 

 voted on opposite sides at elections. This cleavage is 

 more marked in England than in other countries. 

 Chiefly, 1 think, because of the reason already given — 

 the agricultural labourers have so httle direct interest 

 in the land. 



This division in the ranks of the industry is bad both 

 politically and economically. 



Along with his individualism and conservatism the 

 British farmer possesses dogged determination to a 

 remarkable degree. He has suffered more than any 

 other race of farmers from the neglect and stupidity of 

 Government, and from the apathy and sometimes even 

 hostility of our land-ignorant townsmen. He has seen 

 the whole nation absolutely indifferent to the prosperity 

 or ruin of agriculture — the primary national industry. 

 In spite of it all he has held on. 



If he has not progressed as much as farmers in other 

 countries since 1875, who is to blame ? Prices were 

 against him, railway rates were against him ; and that 

 organized agricultural instruction, which revolutionized 

 agriculture in other countries, was denied to him. For 

 years during the great depression the farmer could only 

 just exist ; how could a man in such a position, alone and 

 unaided, improve the standard of his farming ? 



Yet it was during this very period of depression, 

 when our agriculture was on the down grade, that the 

 most remarkable expansion of that industry took place 

 in continental countries — both free trade and protected. 



The reasons for this great difference in results are 

 these :— 



First, when the depression came upon us, we were 



