Agricultural Finance 



54 



[July, 1910. 



ing potatoes, vegetables, grain, hay, 

 and straw is disposed of to dealers, by 

 whom it is despatched mainly to Lan- 

 cashire and Yorkshire towns. It is 

 delivered by the grower to the nearest 

 railway station. In many seasons, how- 

 ever, large quantities of cabbages are 

 sent from the district to the Loudon 

 markets, in fact, a London demand is 

 considered essential for a good trade. 

 The extension of this system of crop- 

 ping has resulted in increased faci- 

 lities of disposing of the produce. 

 Formerly salesmen came out from 

 the large towns to purchase their 

 supplies ; now there are many agricul- 

 tural produce merchants who reside and 

 have their main offices and warehouses 

 in the district. Some of these mer- 

 chants, natives of the district, have 

 built up extensive businesses and have 

 temporary branches in the Channel 

 Islands during the eai^ly potato season 

 and in other parts of the country. 



Factors in the Success Of Small Farms 

 in this District.— From an agricultural 

 point of view the whole district is un- 

 doubtedly favoured in many ways, and 

 the following may be taken to be the 

 main points couducing to the success 

 of these small farms : — 



(1.) Fertility of Soil. — The soil is natur- 

 ally fertile and is especially suited to 

 the cultivation of potatoes and market 

 garden crops. The climate is also equal- 

 ly favourable. 



(2.) Proximity of Populous Centres 

 and Good Markets- — The numerous Lan- 

 cashire towns and some of the Yorkshire 

 ones provide a ready outlet for the 

 produce, though, as has already been 

 stated, some of it goes much further 

 afield. The towns also provide a supply 

 of dung for use on the farms, to such an 

 extent that artificial manures, with the 

 exception of nitrate of soda, are little 

 used. There is good railway communi- 

 cation, as is usually the case near 

 populous centres, and the stations are 

 not far apart. A good portion of the 

 district has the additional advantage of 

 water carriage by canal, which is 

 cheaper than by rail, and is a great 

 benefit, particularly in regard to the 

 supply of dung. The country is practi- 

 cally level, a fact conducive to economy 

 of horse labour. 



(3.) Industrious Habits of the People. — 

 Both occupiers and labourers are a hard- 

 working and strenuous race. There is, 

 perhaps, no system of managing land 

 which makes greater demands upon the 

 physical endurance of the labourers 

 than market gardening, especially when 

 the produce is hauled to a market 8 or 10 

 miles distant. The rate of wages is 



high, a natural result of the competition 

 for labour of the railways and the not 

 far distant factories, collieries, and 

 works of various kinds. At the same 

 time the labour compared with that of 

 districts where a lower rate of wages 

 prevails, is not expensive- Ploughmen 

 usually receive from 21s. to 24s. per week, 

 and work in the fields with their teams 

 from 7 to 12 in the morning and from 

 1'30 to 6 in the afternoon when the 

 length of the day allows it, with a break 

 of half-an-hour both morning and after- 

 noon. Labourers get from 18s. to 24s. 

 per week, and work from 6 o'clock in 

 the morning to 6 in the evening, with an 

 hour off at noon and half an hour 

 morning and afternoon. To give some 

 idea of the labour performed it may be 

 mentioned that one man will fill about 

 30 tons of dung in a day from a heap in 

 the field, and when potato-lifting with 

 the fork in a full crop will frequently 

 dig, pick up, and carry to a cart over a 

 ton a day, sometimes as much as 25 cwts. 

 This is by day work ; the usual rate of 

 pay for piece work is l%d. per 20 yards 

 in the row. 



Practically all the men occupying 

 these small farms follow the occupation 

 of their fathers and learned the business 

 in this way. There are few instances of 

 persons reared in towns taking up hold- 

 ings here, and it is rarely that anyone 

 from outside the district does so. The 

 labourers also seldom become small hold- 

 ers, though, with thrifty habits and 

 high wages they have a good chance 

 of doing so if they desire. 



SOME LOCAL ASPECTS OF 

 CO-OPERATION. 



(From the Board of Agriculture of British 

 Guiana, Vol. Ill,, No. 3, January, 1910.) 



A noteworthy feature of the close of 

 the year 1909 was the revival in this 

 colony of the spirit of co-operation. A 

 real effort seemed to be made among 

 those whom we may, without offence, 

 call the " small men "of British Guiana 

 to combine for purposes of mutual 

 benefit, and more especially of agricul- 

 tural advancement. A local company 

 was formed, co-operative banks on the 

 small scale were established, and in 

 many other ways evidence was given 

 that the right spirit was abroad. The 

 results of these praiseworthy efforts are 

 yet to be seen, but whatever their fate, 

 the fact that they have been must be 

 counted to the people for righteousness. 

 As consistent advocates of Co-operation, 

 we welcome the movement ; and we 

 would call attention to at least one 



