RURAL ENGLAND OF TO-DAY 45 



the large farmer, by an occasional invitation 

 to a day's shooting ; and, as he does not hunt, 

 or even do a little dealing in hunters, he has 

 scant sympathy with those who find time for 

 such pursuits. 



The highest types of farming cannot well 

 exist side by side with extensive game pre- 

 servation ; and the successful agriculturists 

 of France, Italy or Belgium regard with 

 amazement the general attitude of passive 

 resistance or willing acquiescence taken up 

 by our farmers towards the patrons of sport. 

 Terrible havoc is sometimes played with 

 young crops by rabbits issuing by night from 

 coverts over which the farmer has no control. 

 Pheasants pull up young corn to get at the 

 seed, and at times inflict cruel losses on small 

 holders in shooting neighbourhoods. In the 

 case of injury to crops, hedges, and poultry 

 by fox-hunting, the subscribers of some 

 hunts, it is true, pay many hundreds a year in 

 direct compensation to farmers, besides what 

 is spent on puppy shows and other functions, 

 which help to conciliate those who make a 

 living out of agriculture. These things and 

 an occasional invitation to a 1/6 luncheon 

 may satisfy the farmer ; but they imply a 

 considerable economic loss to the nation, both 

 in the actual injury done, and in the pro- 



