full extent of the beautiful Bay of Carmarthen and Gower’s Land; then as far as the Black Mountains on the north-east, and the Percilly Mountains on the north-west; while eastward you see Tenby, Gilter Head, and Caldy Island; and directly before you, on a clear day, lies Lundy Island, with the Devonshire coast in the back-ground, and sometimes even the hazy outline of a portion of Cornwall.
Immediately below is the glen, known as the Black Valley, the only visible habitation being the cottage of Thomas Morris, at whose fireside the lover of homely fare, a good story, or a good song will always find a welcome, and will bring away with him a picture that will prove a pleasant memory for many a long day.
OUR FARMS AND OUR FARMERS.
Could a perfect stranger to our institutions and our country—one conversant, however, with foreign lands, and learned in all that relates to the development of human progress in other quarters of the globe—could such a one be put on shore at Liverpool, or any other of our great commercial ports; visit our unrivalled docks, our vast warehouses, and see the immense hive of human beings engaged in furthering the purposes of commerce, he would certainly indorse the opinion of the Great Napoleon, and pronounce us a “nation of shopkeepers.”
But land him, say, on the coast of Norfolk, and, avoiding the larger and busier coast towns, transport him at once into one of our most flourishing rural districts; show him the carefully cultivated fields, the level and closely trimmed hedgerows, and the magnificent crops of corn waving like a golden sea over the landscape; and he would as certainly assert England to be nothing more or less than a community of farmers. And in this opinion he would not be far wrong, in spite of the doctrines of the Manchester School. Agriculture is a much more important matter, and its development and progress are more closely associated with the well-being of this country than could at first sight be believed. It is true we can import corn, and that at a price which will absolutely yield a cheaper loaf than our own agriculturists can supply at a fair profit; but in the matter of beef, mutton, and the finer description of long wools, we are dependent mainly upon Great Britain and her farmers.
The proportion of our population who, directly or indirectly, derive their living from the land is a very large one, and includes amongst the number one of our most influential classes, the landholders. It is probably under the mark to say that one-fourth of the working population of England is dependent upon agriculture.
Coming more directly to statistics, we find that upwards of 30,000,000 of acres are in cultivation in Great Britain, of which 19,000,000 are devoted to the growth of corn and roots, and 11,000,000 or 12,000,000 are in permanent pasture. Now, taking the very low average of 4l. per acre (and, in shame be it spoken, this is less than half the sum that might be profitably employed), the actual aggregate sum employed on the land by our farmers is not less than 120,000,000l. This amount of land and capital is divided amongst, in round numbers, 225,000 farmers, holding farms varying in size from thirty acres to 1000 and upwards. In this calculation the smaller holdings are omitted, as furnishing no employ for agricultural labour, and being classed under the head of spade husbandry. Taking two horses for every fifty acres of land in arable cultivation, we get employment for 760,000 horses, not including young horses, foals, &c.; and to manage and till the land our farmers employ an average of 756,000 labourers, actually engaged in outdoor work. In-doors we have a further staff of 63,000 agricultural servants, and 25,000 female domestics. As a further assistance to our farmers in busy times and certain seasons of the year, we have upwards of 236,000 women and children, occasionally or partly employed, besides boys and girls resident partially on the farm, and numbering 100,000 and upwards. To pay this large staff, our farmers’ “little labour bill” is computed at something like 27,000,000l. annually.
Descending from generalities to individuals, wo will take our model farmer, put him upon a farm, stock it for him, and calculate his profits.
The proper size of a farm will of course vary with the amount of his capital and the nature and value of the land; probably, however, from 200 to 400 acres is the most convenient, and, upon the whole, the most profitable size for the investment of capital. To stock and work his farm to a profit, our farmer should possess at least a capital of from 8l. to 10l. per acre. It is true he may go into his farm with less; and if seasons, crops, and prices are propitious (a consummation oftener looked for than arrived at), he will not feel the deficiency. But should markets fall or seasons blight his crops; if he has to buy in his stock dear and sell it out cheap—not so unfrequent an event as a novice might suppose; he involves himself in a labyrinth of difficulties a lifetime will not extricate him from. Taking, then, this sum as necessary to start our farmer, we will try to