Farming of Cumberland, 



219 



who, having been, perhaps, inconsiderately, as well as unfairly, 

 kept too much at cartwork on farms, &c., have acquired a habit 

 of lounging along the road, and exercising their petty tyranny 

 over the luckless horse or horses placed under their control ; so 

 that later in life they can hardly apply themselves to manual 

 exertion in any more laborious form. The whole of the above 

 class are always ready to become tenants of small parcels of 

 land, and are thus, in some degree, entitled to rank in the list of 

 small farmers, although their farming is too often of the most 

 wretched description. Partly through the difficulties inseparable 

 from their position, and partly through their habitual improvi- 

 dence, few only can extricate themselves from this class and 

 enter a higher grade of land-holding. But the spirit of advance- 

 ment is not dormant in all of them, and if any, by extraordinary 

 care, happen to save enough wherewith to stock a small farm, 

 they are almost sure to succeed ; for the spirit which prompted 

 economy and industry, the dread, too, of the miseries attending 

 their former difficulties, increase with success, and almost ensure 

 prosperity. Even this lowest rank of occupiers performs im- 

 portant functions for the community, and could not be dispensed 

 with at present without disorganizing the rest. It is true the 

 railways have displaced some of them, and may gradually dis- 

 place more ; but many yet remain who might be more comfort- 

 able and thrive better, as well as be more certain of a livelihood, 

 if in service, than at precarious and often ill-paid road-work. 



Coming into occasional competition with these last is a class 

 consisting of small farmers, with holdings like the last, or a trifle 

 larger, who anxiously and painfully make farming the main 

 business of their industry, with a view to place themselves or 

 their successors on better farms, and who, having more horse- 

 power and more time than can at all times be profitably occupied 

 in their own husbandry, very properly take occasional advantage 

 of the limited earnings of road-work, rather than themselves or 

 their horses should eat the bread or set the example of idleness. 



It is pleasing to be able to record that the men of this class, if 

 they do not aim at possessing too much land for their capital, 

 in many instances succeed in bettering their position. From 

 families of this class issue many of the most industrious and 

 trustworthy servants, both male and female ; their education and 

 moral training (though still defective) being of a higher grade 

 than that of the cottagers of the villages, which send out the great 

 bulk of farm-servants. 



From some of the small farms not placed near enough to derive 

 advantage from the employment to be had on larger farms, the 

 young men, partly with a view to earn a little money for them- 

 selves, and partly to see other districts and observe their customs, 



