Now the seedsman was an important person, and a grand shop might be found, often several shops, in every market town, the owners of which shops must likewise live upon the farmer.

Here were eight or nine people to pay rent to instead of one.
No wonder farming nowadays was not profitable.

No wonder farmers could not put their sons into farms.

Let any one look round their own neighbourhood and count up how many farmers had managed to do that.

Why, they were hardly to be found.