CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Home and Foreign Supply of Food.

Functions of Government in regard to the Supply
of Food-Value of Cereal and Animal Food im-
ported from Abroad-Rapid Rise in the Value
of Meat-will be checked by Importations
from America-Proportion of Home and Foreign
Supply of Food in this Country-England
now chiefly dependent on Foreign Supplies for
further Increase-Cost of Carriage equal to the
Rent of Land here—Agricultural Statistics suffi-
ciently accurate for use-Their main Features-
Diminution of Corn in Ireland—Present Agricul-
tural Prosperity of that Country-Extent of the
various Crops and Numbers of Live Stock-
Quantities and Value of Home and Foreign
Produce, respectively, consumed annually in
this Country...

...

PAGE

1--14

CHAPTER II.

Changes and Progress in Agriculture in Recent Years.

Reaping and Mowing Machines-Steam Plough

-Double-furrow Plough General use of

Steam-power-Successive Corn-crops-use to

which this might be put in time of War—

capable of checking a permanent great Rise in

Price of Wheat-Autumn Culture and Steam-

power, with imported Manures, have given great

command of Crops-Mr. Lawes' Experiments:

their Value and some of their special Lessons—

The Experiments at Woburn-Extension of

Land-drainage and Improvement of Farm-build-

ings and Labourers' Cottages-Change within

30 years, more in general diffusion of Improved

Practice, and better Breeds of Stock, than in the

introduction of New Systems-Greatest Change

caused by the Prosperity of the Country and

the Rise in the Value of Animal Food-vast

consequent Increase in the Capital Value of

Live Stock and Landed Property

...

PAGE

15-31

CHAPTER III.

Soil, Climate, and Crops.

Extent of Country and Proportion of various Crops

—as influenced by Climate, Situation, and Rain-

CONTENTS.

fall-Weight and relative Value of Corn-crops

-Examples of Soils of greatest and least Natural

Fertility and of an average Soil unmanured and

specially manured-Plants which predominate

in uncultivated Land

ix

PAGE

32-39

CHAPTER IV.

Distribution of Landed Property.

Tendency to Diminution in Number of small Es-

tates-Proportion of Landowners to whole Popu-

lation as one in a hundred-These, being Heads

of Families, equivalent to one in twenty-Hence

one-twentieth of Population interested in Landed

Property Increased to one-fifth by the Interests

of Tenant-farmers as part Owners of Agricul-

tural Property-One-fifth of the Land held by

the Peerage-Not cultivated by Owners but by

Farmers-relative Extent of their Holdings in

England and in Ireland-Trade and Colonies

enable us to dispense with Checks on Increase

of Population-that checked in Ireland by

Potato Famine-Decrease in Number of smallest

Holdings there on return of Prosperity-Diminu-

tion of Agricultural Population—and of Yeomen

farming their own Land-Experiment of Peasant

Proprietors in Ireland-Plan Recommended 40-55

...

CHAPTER V.

Landowner, Farmer, and Labourer.

The Landowners, their Position, Duties, and In-

fluence Their Number, and the immense Capital

Value of their Property-The Tenant-farmers,

the proportional Extent of their Holdings, their

Numbers and Capital-the Labourers-Condi-

tion now better than at any previous Period,

comparing their Wages with the Price of Bread

-Each of the three Classes constantly recruited

by changes of Property and Employment-Re-

sult of the System, compared with that of other

Countries, shows larger Returns at less Cost-

Special Features of System in England—in Scot-

land-in Ireland-Tenancy-at-will in England-

Leases in Scotland-Middlemen in Ireland, and

the Result

...

PAGE

56-78

CHAPTER VI.

Land Improvement.

Hindrances by Settlements and Incumbrances—
Expedients adopted to overcome the incapacity
of Owners to provide Capital for Improvement
-State Loans for Land Improvement-Followed
by Loans from Land Improvement Companies-