SMALL FARMS AND AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS.
[To THE EDITOR OF TER "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—Lord Salisbury once said that amongst the things necessary to the successful cultivation of the- soil in these times are "more brains," and from Mr. R. H. Mason's remarks in his letter which appeared in the Spectator of October 6th, it has occurred to me that the cause of the non-success of the labourer to whom he refers was really through the lack of "brains." The Small Farm and Labourers Land Company has over fifty tenants upon its estates in Berkshire and Cam- bridgeshire, where a good deal of brain-power is exercised ; and my experience, from recent visits to their holdings, is that they are becoming increasingly successful.
Nearly all of them had excellent crops this year, which they -have since gathered in; and, moreover, they expect to realise more profit than they did last, owing to better prices pre- vailing. With reference to small farms being successful, as a matter of course this greatly depends upon the intelligence and qualifications of the individual, as well as the nature and situation of the soil, and also the rent or purchase-money. It is, however, satisfactory to be able to state that several small farmers pure and simple on the estates of this Company are paying their way, and these careful and industrious men may ultimately acquire the freehold' of their land. The directors of this Company, of which Lord Wantage is chairman, are so satisfied from the experience gained as to the success of small farming properly carried out, that they have recently purchased Foxham Farm, near Chippenham, from Lord Lansdowne for the sum of £4,500; and no doubt, as soon as possession of this property is obtained, it will be easily let or sold, inasmuch as applications have been received for land already in excess of the acreage.—I am, Sir, &c., SAMUEL INsuLL, Secretary. 70 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S. W., October 9th. P.S.—We have a number of labourers as tenants, and as the
bulk of them show no disposition whatever to give up their holdings this Michaelmas, it may be fairly assumed that they are successful.
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