This last week I paid a visit to West Norfolk,
a great farming district. You can rent, or buy, what land you like for a song. A certain amount of fair land—it would be called good in parts of Australia—is derelict and quite unfilled, but I will leave aside the opportunities of such reclamation. The more surprising examples of cheapness concern land that has been well farmed and in its time paid high dividends. Not long since a particular farm of some 600 acres came in hand. The owner was not in a position to farm it himself. He had neither time nor money enough ; so he tried to find a new tenant. After a long period of failure he was forced to let the farm and its buildings for the sum of half a crown an acre. As to the landowner, tithes and taxes will certainly not be less than 7s. an acre after letting. With estate expenses he will certainly be as much as £200 a year out of pocket by the honour of being a landowner.
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