224 English Wheat and the Development of British Milling. 
endeavour, as far as possible, to encourage the agricultural 
labourer in his work and to retain his services by organising 
classes and rewards for ploughing, hedge-cutting, stacking and 
thatching, and long service. The labourer, it may be said, has 
reaped an advantage in one way ; for although most of the 
products of the soil have diminished considerably in price 
during the last twenty-five or thirty years — corn for instance, 
with a drop of 50 per cent., wool 100 per cent., cheese and 
butter also, with other products in proportion — liis wages have 
increased by one-third. 
Rents have by degrees been reduced — of course at the 
landlord’s expense — but not before the reduction was wanted ; 
in some cases, it is regrettable to say, the reduction has been 
made not to old tenants but to new ones. As a rule, landlords 
in the county deal fairly with their tenants ; but there are 
exceptions which ought not to exist, for to make agriculture 
what it should be, landlord, tenant, and labourer should pull 
together. The hay barns and covered manure yards erected 
on some farms are a great acquisition. 
The wealth of Derbyshire is not all upon the surface, for in 
addition to its agricultural and manufacturing occupations, its 
great mining industry turns out probably as many “ black 
diamonds ” in proportion to its size as any other mining 
county in England. 
The approaching visit of the Royal Agricultural Society 
may be expected to impart an important stimulus to the 
agriculture of the county ; whilst the heartiness which the 
Mayor and Corporation of Derby, the Derbyshire Agricultural 
Society, and all others concerned are throwing into the pre- 
parations for the Show augurs well for its success. On the 
other hand, I cannot resist the impression that, after the 
thousands who are expected to visit the Show have done so, 
they will go away with the belief that we in Derbyshire, as well 
as being what is often attributed to us, “ strong in the arm,” 
have other good qualifications. 
W. J. Skertchly. 
Borrowash, Derby. 
ENGLISH WHEAT AND THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH MILLING. 
In explaining to the British farmer what it is that, the miller 
requires of him in regard to the wheat which goes to make 
up the requisite mixture for making a good loaf of bread, I 
feel some difficulty in putting the position clearly. 
