SMALL HOLDINGS. 95 



advanced. The tenant farmers are getting most 

 of the advantage. They would be fools to 

 desire ownership." 



Another gentleman, who is admitted to be one 

 of the highest authorities in England on agri- 

 cultural questions, discussing small holdings, 

 referred incidentally to the hardship it imposed 

 on the tenant farmer who was " forced to buy." 

 This view of small ownership as a grievance to 

 the small owner will astonish, no doubt, some, 

 but it was a sincere expression of educated 

 opinion. Said this gentleman : " One of the 

 effects of class agitation against landowners is 

 that the security of agricultural estates as an 

 investment is seriously attacked. That causes 

 estates to be thrown on the market. Then the 

 tenant farmer gets notice to quit. Or, perhaps, 

 he has a fear that, through a change of owner- 

 ship, he will get notice to quit. This insecurity 

 suggests to him the necessity of moving to a new 

 farm, where he will have to meet fresh condi- 

 tions, and make his mistakes all over again, 

 for almost every farm in England has its special 

 characteristics that the cultivator must know. 

 Sooner than face a move, the tenant farmer is 



