CONCLUSION. 725 



** Unfortunately we may add to this bad news that other parts 

 are also likely to suffer some amount of distress, and there are 

 people who say that this winter may not improbably be the 

 worst which England has ever seen. All this points to a state 

 of things which may be spoken of as nothing less than disastrous, 

 and any hint which may help matters cannot be thrown away. 

 Now the fact is that in these days there are far too many of us 

 who are apt to be forgetful of the advantages of many kinds, 

 but especially in the way of health and strength, to be derived 

 from rural pursuits. The tendency of modem civilisation leads 

 to our congregating more and more closely into the larger 

 towns, and no doubt there are great facilities connected with an 

 urban residence. 



'* Still there is the other side of the shield to be looked at, as 

 the old fable of the town mouse and the country mouse so forcibly 

 reminds us ; and there is not the least doubt that it is time that 

 we should pay more heed to the fact that active exercise in the 

 open country is a great desideratum. There are too few persons 

 who fully realise the very great benefits accruing from out-of-door 

 pursuits. It is true that hunting, shooting, fishing, and so forth, 

 have each and all their eager votaries; but the point we would 

 lay stress on is that one of the greatest boons connected with the 

 avocation of farming is one that is often lost sight of — we mean 

 the essential healthiness of agricultural pursuits and opera- 

 tions. This aspect of the question is one which, if thoroughly 

 appreciated, might lead to the taking up of all the farms 

 which are now to be let in the country, quite eagerly and without 

 delay. 



** There is no doubt that there are many people well able to put 

 their energies into farming who, even if they did not become 

 very affluent by so doing, might at least secure a fair return for 

 time and money expended, and, what is far more than this, might 

 increase in a most material way not only their happiness, but 

 also their strength, their health, and the duration of their lives. In 

 this connection it is to be borne in mind that it is always darkest 

 ere the dawn, and that things may unhesitatingly be now looked 

 upon as being at their worst. As matters now stand, there is 

 no disputing that the country districts, depending, as they do, 

 rather largely on their own unaided resources, are in a bad way. 

 Further, although it is a long lane which has no turning, we 



