THE TYPICAL AMERICAN FARM. 57 



fact, of the whole United States, are not rapidly assum- 

 ing a shape other than that represented by the typical 

 American farmer ? 



It is well known that the Wall Street capitalists are 

 becoming owners of vast tracts of Western lands, and that 

 Boston capitalists are getting a mortgage grip upon the 

 New England farms, while British capital is fast coming 

 to the position of controlling more land in America than 

 at home. Restricted in the United States, it turns its 

 attention to Canada. 



Aliens may have absorbed the new lands of Western 

 States, but how are we to account for the rapid absorp- 

 tion of the small properties by the large in the East ? 



A like condition is developing in Canada. The great 

 Northwest is falling into the hands of the moneyed classes. 

 In Manitoba 44 per cent, of the land-holdings in 1880 

 were of the classes above 500 acres ; in the territories 58 

 per cent, were upwards of 500 acres in area. Sir Lester 

 Key now manages for a $2,000,000 syndicate 1,200,000 

 acres of Canadian lands. 



By reckoning the i,ooo-acre classes, we have gained 

 but a slight insight into the real condition of affairs, but 

 we see enough to exemplify one important phase of the 

 nature of the question under discussion. 



3* 



