29 OCTOBER 1887, Page 23

Landon Deecroft a Socialistic Novel. By Lace Ramsey. (17. Reeves.)—Landon

Deecroft determines to work his farm, situated in one of the Northern States of America, on Socialist principles. He achieves a distinguished success, not only in finance but in argument, vanquishing visitors who come to him and contend against his social and religious theories. Lea Farm—that is the scene of the expert. meat—reminds us very much of Rahaline, where some fifty years ago a scheme of this kind was in successful operation for some time. We should have preferred to see the scene laid in England. In the States there are so many actual experiments at work that it was superfluous to add one that was fictitious. Ass tale, Landon Deecroft is of little interest ; the Socialist arguments are forcibly stated.