6 Landlords^ and Tenants Interests Identical. 



only suit the times, but also the interests of both the 

 landlords and tenants. Formerly their interests were 

 in a great measure opposed, the object of the tenant 

 being to take all he could out of the land, and the 

 object of the landlord to retain all the strength he 

 could in it; and, with the aid of improperly-composed 

 artificial manures, the tenants have been only too 

 successful in depleting the soil, and, in a large number 

 of insrtauces, after having sucked the orange, have 

 thrown the empty peels in the landlord's face. But 

 with the system I advocate it will be as much to the 

 tenant's as to the landlord's interest that all the 

 strength possible should be retained in the land, for, 

 in the future, on no other principle can farming in these 

 islands be profitably carried on. And here it may not 

 be uninteresting to notice that similar principles were 

 laid down by M. Porcius Cato (born 234 B.C.) in his 

 agricultural treatise, " De Re Rustica." He was asked 

 what was the most certain profit rising out of land. 

 " To feed stock well," he replied. Being asked what 

 was the next point of importance, he said, " To feed 

 with moderation." Evidently meaning to the extent 

 that paid best, or, in other words, that the farmer 

 should aim at a low cost of production. He also, 

 I may add, laid down that " a good husbandman 

 should be a seller rather than a buyer," which, of 

 course, means that he should breed his own stock, and 

 produce for himself everything that he profitably can. 

 And it seems hardly necessary to add that the Act 

 which now requires that all imported animals should 

 be slaughtered at the port of debarkation still further 

 enforces the necessity for adhering, as far as possible, 

 to these old Roman agricultural maxims. 



I may next allude to a difficulty, with the view of 

 explaining it, and suggesting a remedy. And it 

 is a very important difficulty, and one that has 

 often been wondered at, and — shall I say? — ignorantly 

 wondered at. This consists of the severe resistance to 



