60 



Causes of Crofters' Act may have also tended in this direction, previous 

 Decline. to which many may not have been properly designated. 



STIRLING. Mr. Drysdale writes : *' In a district like this 

 (i.e., Western district of Stirlingshire and West Perthshire) 

 removed from centres of population and with expensive transit, 

 the small holder is heavily handicapped and in some cases has 

 found it impossible to earn a decent living for himself and 

 family. The landlords find it a heavy burden keeping up 

 suitable buildings on small holdings and have taken advantage 

 as occasion offers to let them along with larger farms. 

 More and more land, especially in the higher-lying districts, 

 is being put down to permanent pasture, which is found to 

 pay better than cropping, especially with sheep at present 

 prices, and the labour bill can thus be materially cut down. 

 The rearing of store cattle and selling them as stirks or six- 

 quarter olds has long been the sheet anchor of the smaller 

 holders in this county. There is not a living to be made out 

 of such land in growing cereals or roots at present prices. A 

 further reason contributing to the employment of fewer 

 labourers is that an increasing acreage of the strong clay land 

 is being put down to permanent hay, such as timothy. This 

 system has been found more profitable and the labour bill can 

 be considerably cut down. For instance, on a four pair of 

 horse farm at least one ploughman and a pair of horses can 

 be dispensed with by putting a section of the farm down to 

 permanent timothy. I am the occupant of three farms which 

 some years ago were occupied by three tenants. I have put 

 two of these farms wholly under pasture and employ one shep- 

 herd on them. A near neighbour is the occupant of six hold- 

 ings which a few years ago were in the hands of six tenants. 

 Three of these holdings have been acquired during the past two 

 years and will be put down to pasture as rapidly as possible." 

 The increased use of machinery is also referred to as a 

 cause of the employment of less labour. 



On the other hand, the natural movement of the population 

 away from the country is noted. Mr. Drysdale writes : " For 

 years past the pick of our farm labourers have been migrating 

 to the towns. The want of suitable cottages has contributed 

 in no small degree to this state of matters. Another induce- 

 ment is that a man with a young family has better chances 

 of constant employment for his family at bigger wages in the 

 large industrial centres than he could have in the country 

 districts. An industrious man with three or four of a family 

 working can earn far more per week in the brickfields of 

 Lanarkshire, for example, than the same mail and family could 

 earn in any small holding that I know in this district in a 

 month. Many of the cream of our young men are emigrating 

 to the Colonies, seeing no prospect with limited means of 

 earning a respectable livelihood here. Quite a number of 

 farmers' sons have left within the last fortnight, as well as 

 estate labourers and ploughmen." 



