112 AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION 



viction that things are in process of readjustment, and 

 that chances are on the whole more favourable, there are 

 other obvious causes. 



One reason must be satisfactory in the interest of 

 agriculture. There clearly are still many men about who 

 have been brought up to agriculture, and wish to pursue 

 it. We have not exhausted the stock of the well-trained 

 sons of good farmers. The emigration of farmers from 

 Scotland and Devonshire to the depressed districts in 

 England, and the fact that even in Essex there are fewer 

 unoccupied farms now than six years ago, proves that 

 there is an ample supply of working farmers. 



Further, there have been, and still are, all over Eng- 

 land, and notably in Scotland, considerable numbers of 

 men, some of whom know something of farming, others 

 next to nothing, who have made money in other callings, 

 and deliberately take farms because they prefer a country 

 life, and without much anxiety as to commercial results. 

 In many cases these men have burned their fingers, but 

 their competition has tended to keep up rents. 



Thus Mr Speir mentions of Nithsdale that out of 172 

 new tenants no less than fifty-three were bankers, mer- 

 chants, or others entirely unconnected with agriculture. 



To some extent, too, competition is increased for 

 farms from the narrow margin of profit in nearly all in- 

 dustries, and the uncertainty of profitable openings 

 abroad. 



Again, the number of exhausted and useless farms, 

 steadily on the increase, has directed competition towards 

 farms in good and workable condition, from which there 

 is still some chance of profit. " A well-farmed place is 

 lettable still, and it is even more lettable because of the 

 large number that are not well farmed." 



Mr Riddell : " The good farmer is placed at a dis- 

 advantage, because at the end of his nineteen years' 

 lease, if a farm is in very high condition, it makes a good 

 many others covet it, and the landlord very often too." 



Much of this competition is dishonest. Men are 

 ready to offer a high rent for a farm which has been 

 well worked for years, with the deliberate intention of 



