142 CONCLUSION 



one of the surest and safest methods of educa- 

 tion, and by insuring that among the success- 

 ful applicants for properties on a village farm 

 are three or four who are expert at their 

 business the less experienced will in their turn 

 learn from them. 



The question of education is as fundamental 



to success as the choice of land and district. 



Without knowledge the most fertile soil is 



obviously useless, but with knowledge livings 



can be made from even unsuitable land. At 



Evesham, where the soil is usually given as 



the only reason for the very advanced form 



of intensive culture which is practised, it is 



interesting to notice how custom has taught 



men in some cases to earn a Hvelihood from a 



few acres of poor land. Miss Jebb, in her 



invaluable book, " The Small Holdings of 



England," remarks on the influence the nature 



of the soil has had on the success of these 



small-holders ; " . . . but it must be remem- 



" bered that much of the soil in this district is 



"of indifferent quality, and its value is due 



" more to thorough cultivation and high manur- 



" ing than to anything inherent in its nature. 



Also we have several instances (two of which 



