ENGLISH LAND CULTIVATION. 55 



present troubles of the land in England cer- 

 tainly date ; and the economic and fiscal changes 

 of that period were without a doubt responsible 

 for the chief of those troubles. But, except for 

 the purpose of political polemics, it is not neces- 

 sary to presume that a deliberate and reasoned 

 hostility to the landed interest prompted the 

 making of those changes. Indeed, some of 

 them were quite independent of any action 

 taken or any feeling existing in England. There 

 did, however, enter into the issue, as it always 

 seems to me there enters into any issue which 

 affects the land in England, some class pre- 

 judice and class hostility. Since one of the 

 greatest " land reforms " that could be effected 

 would be to eliminate as far as possible all 

 political feeling from discussions as to the best 

 means of using the land, it will be of benefit 

 to look back upon the position in England, and 

 in the world generally, at the time that Great 

 Britain made the great change from being 

 dependent mainly on agriculture for her wealth 

 to being dependent more largely on mines and 

 manufactures. 



England, a century or so ago, rested her 



