CHAPTER IV. 



PROTECTION AS IT REFERS TO AGRICULTURE IN 



ENGLAND. 



In Great Britain, the freemen, or small holders of the 

 land have been over-borne from time to time in one way 

 and another, until they have become about extinct as a 

 class. The great body of the farmers of England now 

 own no land, but they must depend upon the lords of 

 the manor for the privilege of tilling the soil, though not, 

 as once, obliged under all circumstances to accept 

 these lords' terms. 



The agricultural lands of Great Britain are supposed 

 to support three classes — namely, the landlord, the capi- 

 talist farmer, and the farm laborer. When a bushel of 

 grain is raised in England, three parties must each have 

 a share in the profit. The chances for a share of this 

 profit to any one of these parties have very much les- 

 sened during the last fifty years. The chances for the 

 landlord to take this profit to himself have also very 

 much lessened in the same period. For many years, agri- 

 culture in the hands of the landlords was a monopoly ; 

 profits through laws which prevented foreign competi- 

 tion being secured to the landlord. These profits went 

 to the landlord because the labor market was glutted. 



These conditions are all changed. Agriculture is not 

 now a monopoly in England ; and the laborer is much 



128 



