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LEICESTER. Mr. Bassett writes : " The low price of produce 

 has changed the character of many occupations, much land 

 has been laid down to grass and less labour is required. Young 

 men flock to the towns, which offer higher wages and better 

 opportunities of self improvement and advancement." Mr. 

 Longwill states that in some parts there is a want of good 

 cottages. 



RUTLAND. The low price of agricultural produce has made 

 it more difficult to pay and employ labour; arable land has 

 been converted to pasture. The prospect of higher wages has 

 attracted the population to the towns, while the system of edu- 

 cation also has caused discontent with present rural conditions. 



NORTHAMPTON. The depletion of farmers' resources, due to 

 low prices of produce and higher wages, has caused arable land 

 to be laid down to pasture and has led to the use of labour-saving 

 machinery. The attractions of town life, the higher wages of 

 industrial occupations, the Saturday half-holiday, and absence 

 of Sunday work are inducements to leave the country. Mr. 

 Rooke observes : " Ironstone digging and brickmaking are im- 

 portant industries in North Northamptonshire, giving ample 

 employment to strong and able labourers, who can earn higher 

 wages than at agricultural work, while the more intelligent 

 often find remunerative engagements on the railways which 

 abound in the county. " 



BUCKINGHAM. Owing to the low price of produce farmers 

 cannot afford to employ the number of men that they once did. 

 They are obliged to cut down expenses, and only the labour that 

 is actually necessary is employed; Town employment offers 

 higher wages, absence of Sunday work, and other attractions. 

 Mr. Tread well writes : " Our boys and girls are taught every- 

 thing but what they should be to keep them in the country. 

 As soon as they have left school the boys think that they can 

 do better in the towns as clerks or porters, or something which 

 does not, as they think, want much laborious work, and that 

 they get better pay than farmers can give them ; the girls have 

 an idea too that farm work is harder than town work, where 

 they get higher wages and more time out." 



OXFORD. In consequence of low prices farmers have cut 

 down expenses as much as possible, and labour on an arable 

 farm being generally the heaviest item, machinery has come 

 more into use, or land has been laid to grass, in either case the 

 demand for labour being lessened. Also there is not the same 

 trouble taken to keep farms in that trim order which was aimed 

 at when farming was more profitable. The system of education 

 is thought to create a distaste for agricultural pursuits, and a 

 preference is evinced for town life, where higher wages may 

 be obtained. There is a need for better houses at moderate 

 rents. 



