AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7225, 26 April 1884, Page 6

AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND.

[KltOM TJIK LONDON COKBKSJ'OMDHNT OF TDK " CANTEBBUIIt TIKEB."I 11. London, Feb. 28, 1884. HOP OBOWINO. I boo that hop-growing is being more thought of in Now Zealand. I may be able to forward somo particulars as to tho best modes of cultivation aa practised here, but meanwhile I can only say that the greatest difficulty to contend with—that I can imagine from what I have raid of the New Zealand climate—would be the strong winds, but this might probably be overcome by tho adoption of tho " vinery system " of polling, either by diagonal poles, or by the use of cocoanut fibre strings, hereafter to be described. In either case the lateral and top shoots could bo secured. With ordinary poling nothing damages hops, when mature, like strong winds. Cocoanut fibre is now much mod in Kent, and is tied from the base of one pole to the top of the pole on tho next hill, and from tho top of one pole to the top of tho next. I may bo able to give more information about this another time. The Brewers' Guardian states that at hoppicking time last year a swarm of peculiar black flies was observed in some districts, and they were found to be attacking the hop cones, causing the latter to shrivel and close up before they had obtained their full size. Specimens of these flie3 and of the cones with tho flies within them were sent to Mr Charles Whitehead, who has since identified these insects as belonging to the order Diptera, and of the family Bibio—species Dilophus vulgaris. Entomologists state that the larvae of this insect inhabit dung, and it is therefore probable that the enormous quantities of farm-yard manure that arc used in the hop-gardens in some places may account for the unusual swarm of these insects in places last autumn. HOEBE SHOW. The fifth annual Cart Horse Show, in connection with the English Cart Horse Society, commenced on Tuesday last, Feb. 26. The classes were large and tolerably good, but I have seen the old stallions better. The chief prizes were the Elsenham Challenge Cup, value 100g8, and the Society's Champion Cup, value 50gs for the best stallion in the show, both of which fell to Enterprise of Cannock (2772), a four-year-old by Heart of Oak (1009), bred by Mr T: S. Minton, Shrewsbury, and exhibited by the Cannock Agricultural Company, Canhock, Staffordshire. The President's Cup, value 20gs, for the best young stallion, was awarded to King of Trent (3175), a three-year-old by Warrior (2689), bred by Mr W. H. Potter, Lockington grounds, Derby, and exhibited by the Market Easen and District Cart Horse Society, Wragby, Lincolnshire. The Duke of Westminster's Lady Whitelock took the Champion Cup as the best mare or filly. All the young horses made good classes, and the veterinary examination was very severe. A United States paper says : —" We append a partial list of alien purchasers and the amount of their holdings: The Holland Land Company, New Mexico 4,500,000. An English Syndicate No. 3 in Texas ... 3,000,000 Sir Edward Eeid and a Syndicate in Florida 2,000,000 English Syndicate in Mississippi 1,800,000 Marquis of Tweedale 1,750,000 Phillips, Marshall, and Co., London ... 1,300,000 German Syndicate 1,100,000 Anglo-American Syndicate, Mr Eodgers, President, London 750,000 Bryan H. Evana, of London, in Mississippi 700,000 Duke of Sutherland 425,000 British Land Company, in Kansas 320,000 William Whalley, M.P., Peterboro, England 310.000 Missouri Land Company, Edinburgh, Scotland 300,000 Robert Tennant, of London 230,000 Dundee Land Company, Scotland 247,000 LordDunmore 120,000 Benjamin Newgas, Liverpool 100,000 Lord Houghton, in Florida 60,000 Lord Dunraven, in Colorado 60.00 P English Land Company; in Florida ... 50,000 English Land Cempany, in Arkansas ... 50,000 Albert Peel, M.P., Leicestershire, England 10,000 Sir J. L. Kay, Tortshire, England ... 5,000 Alexander Grant, of London, in Kansas... 35,000 English Syndicate (represented by Close Bros.), Wisconsin 110,000 M. Ellerhauser, of Halifax, N.S., in West Virginia 600,000. A Scotch Syndicate, in Florida 500,000 A. Boyson, Danish Consul, in Milwaukee 50,000 Missouri Land Company of Edinburgh, Scotland 165,000 Total 20,747,000 Here we have 20,747,000 acres held by twenty-nine individuals and concerns—an average of 715,413 acres each. Here is land enough to make nearly 200,000 farms of 160 acres each! Comfortable, prosperous, and happy farm homes for more than 1,000,000 of people !" In addition to this, the same paper gives another table of American land monopolies amounting in the aggregate to 7,427,000 acres, and remarks that at this rate America will not long be " the land for the landless." Professor Lindsay, writing to the Pall Mall Gazette, states what has befallen certain crofter delegates in Orkney. He says that . " Lieutenant - General Burroughs, of Eousay and Veira, refused to promise that no harm should be done to crofter delegates for giving evidence, and that a Eousay delegate, James Leonard, thereafter proceeded to give evidence, at his own hazard. On Sept. 22 last two petitions of ejectment and removal were presented in the Sheriff Court at Kirkwall by Mr John Macrae, writer, Kirkwall, law agent for Lieutenant - General Burroughs, against the above-mentioned James Leonard and a fellow- delegate, James Grieve, and in consequence both these delegates are evicted from their holdings. These cases, however, are worse than mere evictions. In the petition against Grieve the landlord asked not only for eviction, but for power to interdict the defendant, ' in all time coming * from entering * into any other subjects belonging to' him; and in order to make matters sure the landlord actually asked power to evict Malcolm Grieve, the defendant's brother, explaining in the petition that he has no desire to evict Malcolm, provided he pays 'due respect to the conditions under which possessions of the estates of Eousay and Veira are held."' Professor Lindsay details other acts of tyranny and intimidation which, to read, makes one think of the Star Chamber and the worst features of the feudal lords. These are the things which are sowing the seeds of that kind of reform which takes sudden and violent form, and is called—revolution. These landlords should remember that once upon a time their class representatives in France told tho people to eat grass, and that the people—well, that the people of Franco are how exceedingly prosperous, and that when France had to pay a huge indemnity to Germany the peasant proprietors, into whose hands the land of France mainly fell, went each man to the old stocking under the bod and drew forth one or two pieces of gold and tho debt was paid. These French peasants are not rich, but they all have a little, whilst the Scotch crofter is being starved off tho land to make room for tho sportsman's deer. Some curious and instructive figures have recently been published relating to tho rents of Highland shootings. It is estimated that the total of Highland grouse shooting is about capital value, and deer forests are becoming equally profitable. Tho rapid manner in which these Highland rents have shot up is remarkable. Thirty-five years ago a grouse moor long let for .£BO a year fell in and was instantly let for shooting for £I4OO, or seventeen times its agricultural value. Scotland is the happy hunting ground of tho well-to-do class, who will have shootings there regardlosa- of cost. Consequently it pays the landowner much better to lot his land for shooting than for tillage. He has no difficulty about his rents, he is not asked to make deductions and allowances on account of adverse seasons. Land therefore in Scotland is going out, or at least is not coming into cultivation. But is this national economy ? Is not this a case in which the people

have a right to say to the landowners that they cumber the ground? Have landowners any moral right to devote the land of the country to purposes which are not economical to the nation, and which tend to curtail not only the food of the people, but the space on which the people have the means of getting a living in any way P The cry of " The land for the people" arises out of such land monopolies as this; and it means, if I understand it rightly, not that the people shall have the land divided between them, but that the land shall be devoted to the greatest benefit which can possibly accrue to the people—to the country-