94 RURAL ECONOMY OF ENGLAND. 



imperfect idea of the facts. Among these 250,000 pro- 

 prietors, a certain number, at most 2000, possess among 

 them one-third of the land and total revenue, and of 

 these 2000 there are 50 having princely fortunes. Some 

 of the English dukes possess entire counties, and have a 

 revenue of millions (of francs). The other members of 

 the peerage, the baronets of England, Scotland, and Ire- 

 land, and the large proprietors who do not form part of 

 the noblesse, follow in their train. Allotting to these 

 2000 families, 10,000,000 hectares, and 500,000,000 

 francs of revenue, gives 12,500 acres, and 10,000 of 

 income to each family. 



But the larger the possessions of the aristocracy, the 

 more does it reduce those of the second-rate proprietors. 

 Still these latter own two-thirds of the soil, and play a 

 part twofold more important in the constitution of 

 English property. Their average holding is reduced to 

 about 200 acres, and their income from land to 160 ; 

 applying the reduction of 20 per cent to this, it amounts 

 to only 130. As there must necessarily exist a great 

 difference among them, it may be concluded that proper- 

 ties yielding 50 to 100 of rent are not so uncommon 

 in England as one might suppose ; in fact, this is appa- 

 rent when looking into the subject more closely. 



Another erroneous impression which, to a certain 

 extent, however, is true, though exaggerated is, that 

 landed property in England does not change hands. 

 Now, although English property is not so easily trans- 

 ferred as with us, it is far from being entirely fixed. 

 Here again a particular fact has been unduly generalised. 

 Certain lands possess entails or other rights, but most are 

 free. One need only run the eye down the immense 

 columns of advertisements in the daily newspapers, or 

 go for an instant into one of the estate agency offices, so 



