Dec. 1895.] PATILIAME:N^TARY PUBLICATIONS. 



353 



The increase in the number of horses, which has been pro- 

 gressive, year by year, is believed to be largely accounted for 

 by the attention given by many farmers to the breeding of 

 hackneys, a branch of farming from which good financial results 

 are said to have been attained by those who had the requisite 

 knowledge and capital. 



Cattle as a whole show no change, but it may be observed 

 that there has been an increase in recent years in the number 

 of milking cows, thus bearing out the statement made to the 

 Assistant Commissioner by several witnesses that dairying had 

 been extended. 



One of the worst features of the present situation is, in Mr. 

 Rew's opinion, the voluntary withdrawal of capital from farming. 

 "The large farmers have many of them lost heart and confidence, 

 and they are taking their capital out of the land. 



The Assistant Commissioner came in contact with many 

 yeoman farmers of different degrees, and, putting aside one or 

 two exceptional cases of the more substantial men who owned 

 a part of their holdings, or rented one farm and owned another, 

 it seemed to him that almost without exception they lived under 

 constant shadow of the mortgagee. Indeed, he states that over 

 a large part of Norfolk mortgages hang like millstones about 

 the neck of owners of all classes, and in many, probably in the 

 large majority of instances, the land if sold now would not pay 

 the morto^agfe. 



Although many of the small holders are feeling the depression 

 as severely as the large farmers, it is pointed out that they live, 

 with their families, mainly on the produce of their holdings, and 

 rif they can manage to sell enough to pay rent and taxes, they 

 can struggle on. The fall of prices to them means perhaps some 

 lowering of their modest standard of comfort, but it does not 

 affect the actual sustenance of the family. 



In view of what has been said, it is nob surprising to find that 

 the number of labourers employed on the land in Norfolk has 

 decreased, and is decreasing, their number having declined from 

 -45,505 in 1871 to 40,937 at the last census. At the time of the 

 Assistant Commissioner's visit the general rate of wages for 

 ordinary labourers was 10s. per week. In a few parishes it was 

 lis., and in some it had fallen to 9s. The current rate of 

 wages does not, of course, represent the actual earnings of the 

 men. Team-men, stockmen, and shepherds, all get is. or 2s. per 

 week more, and frequently a cottage rent free in addition. The 

 ordinary labourer is for a large part of the year engaged on 

 piecework. The harvest is almost invariably paid for in a lump 

 sum which varies from year to } ear according to agreement. 

 The range is from 61. to 71. or a little more, which may be said 

 -to represent from 30s. to 35s. per week. 



In most parts of the county a considerable increase of allot- 

 ments is reported to have taken place in recent years, though in 

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