WALKS IN THE WHEAT-FIELDS. 151 
gold abound, and every other metal, yet none of the 
mines pay except the quicksilver. A rich soil is uncul- 
tivated, and every natural advantage thrown away. 
There are railways, and engines, and telegraphs, and 
books, but the populace are still Spaniards, conservative 
in traditions, and wedded to old customs; often nominally 
Republican, but in fact of the ancient creeds and ways. 
Like this in lesser degree, everything among our green 
leaves and golden wheat is in a confused mixture, at 
once backwards and forwards, progressive and retrograde 
Here is some of the best soil in the world, numerous 
natural advantages, close proximity to immense markets, 
such as London. There seem mines of gold and silver 
in every acre, yet there is a crushing poverty among the 
farmers, and exacting poverty among their dependants 
the labourers. Every farm may be said to. be within 
reach of railway communication, yet the producers know 
nothing of their customers. The country wishes new 
land laws to abolish the last vestiges of feudalism, and 
is beginning to unite against tithes, and in the 
same breath votes Conservative and places a Con- 
servative Government in office. It would break down 
the monopoly of the railways, and at the same time 
would like a monopoly of protection for itself. It has 
learned to read and does not buy books. Science has 
been shouted over the length and breadth of the land, 
and chemistry, and I know not what, called to the 
assistance of the farmer, and every day we are drift- 
ing more and more backwards into the rule-of-thumb 
methods of our forefathers. No anarchy, happily— 
omitting that there is a strong resemblance to Spain. 
For an instance, in the daily papers it has become as 
common as possible to see an advertisement of farm- 
house apartments to let. Numbers of farm people look 
