Worthiessness of Bi-metallism, Protection, Sfc. 11 



II. The cheapest food for stock is grass. 



III. The cheapest manure for soil is a turf corn- 



posed largely of deep-rooting plants. 



IV. The cheapest, deepest, and best tillers of the 



soil are roots'. 

 But before proceeding to prove that a cheaply-created 

 turf is the only solution for our agricultural difficulties, 

 it may be well to notice the solutions that are thought 

 by some to present certain prospects of cure for the 

 unfortunate conditions of our times; for, by first of all 

 disposing of these, we shall be able to fix our attention 

 more exclusively on those factors which alone can set 

 our agriculture on a footing with the requirements of 

 the age. 



Only let us have bi-raetallism, assert some, and prices 

 will rise, and our old system of farming again become 

 profitable. Only, declare others — and no doubt a very 

 considerable number — let us have Protection to an 

 amount that would raise corn to a paying level, and 

 all would go well with our agriculture. Only let us 

 have good land legislation, and improved means of 

 securing the interests of the farmer, and our agricul- 

 ture, with a vastly-increased capital spent upon it, 

 owing to proper security for the tenant having been 

 provided, would again flourish exceedingly. As to the 

 first, we have no means of proving what would occur 

 if bi-metaUism was adopted, and there seems to be no 

 prospect whatever of any such general agreement on 

 the subject amongst the nations of the world as would 

 enable any system of bi-metallism to be carried out. 

 And, as for the second point, there seems to be quite 

 as small a prospect of Protection ever being adopted 

 in England within any time worth considering. Nor, 

 unless it were carried out to a very high amount, 

 have we reason to suppose, judging by what has 

 taken place close to our shores, that Protection to a 

 moderate amount could so far favour the farmer as to 

 make grain for sale profitable. For in France there 



