London to John O Groat's. 175 



to them; it must cost them most of the two, at any 

 rate. And generally they are as particular about the 

 quality as the quantity, and complain if it is not of 

 " good body," as well as full tale. In many cases the 

 farmer furnishes it to them ; sometimes brewing it 

 himself, but more frequently buying it already made. 

 Occasionally a farmer " commutes " with his men ; 

 allowing a certain sum of money weekly in lieu of beer, 

 leaving them to buy and use it as they please. I 

 understood that Mr. Jonas adopts the latter course, 

 not only to save himself the trouble of furnishing and 

 rationing such a large quantity of beer, but also to 

 induce the habit among his men of appropriating the 

 money he gives them instead of drink to better pur- 

 poses. The sum paid to them last year was actually 

 452, or about 2,200 dollars ! Now it would be quite 

 safe to say, that there is not a farm in the state of 

 Connecticut that produces pasturage, hay, grain, and 

 roots enough to pay this beer-bill of a single English 

 occupation ! This fact may not only serve to show the 

 scale of magnitude which agricultural enterprise has 

 assumed in the hands of such men as Mr. Jonas, but 

 also to indicate to our American farmers some of the 

 charges upon English agriculture from which they are 

 exempt ; thanks to the Maine Law, or, to a better one 

 still, that of voluntary disuse of strong drink on our 



