nothing but a labourer; he lives in a
cottage hired probably from the farmer or proprietor, and he has little
motive for working harder than he is made to do, because the advantage
goes to his employer.

In this arrangement there are great advantages, and also great
disadvantages. The farmer, being an intelligent man, acquainted with
agricultural science, and furnished with plenty of capital, can adopt
all the latest inventions, and raise the largest possible produce from
the land and labour. It is also advantageous that the farmer does not
own the land and fixed capital, because this leaves all his own capital
free to provide more expensive implements and manures, and finer kinds
of cattle. It is also a good thing that farms will, on this system, be
large, so that there will be considerable division of labour, almost as
in a factory; thus there will arise some of the advantages which were
described as belonging to the Division of Labour (Sections 25-29).

The disadvantages of the English mode of farming are also great,
especially as regards the labourers, the most numerous class. They have
none of the independence of peasant proprietors, and, when dismissed, or
too old to work, have probably to go to the workhouse. Their wages have
hitherto been very low, and saving was not possible. But this state of
things is partly due to the bad Poor Laws which used to exist in
England, and to the excessive numbers of poor, ignorant labourers. After
a time, when the poor laws are improved, when labourers become more
educated, and are employed, like factory hands, to work machines, there
is no reason why they should not get good wages, and become independent,
like artisans.

In the English system, a great deal depends upon the nature of the
agreement between the land-owner and the capitalist farmer. Many large
land-owners in England refuse to let their land for long periods They
like to have farmers who are #tenants at will#, and can be turned off
their farms at a year's notice, and deprived of the value of all the
improvements they have made, if they offend the great land-owner. It is
easy to understand this; the land-owners wish to be lords, and to rule
affairs in their own neighbourhood, as if they were little kings. This
sort of thing is called #territorial influence#, and men who have become
rich by making iron or cotton goods, often buy estates at a high price,
in order to enjoy the pleasure of feeling like lords. The rural