ABSTRACT
The town population has had a tendency to wear out and must be recruited from rural districts. The village communities which still persisted at this period in England, provided a vigorous stock, from which the men whose initiative, energy and courage have made England famous during the last two centuries were largely descended. Not only were the farming fam
ilies prolific in numbers but they maintained a high standard of mental and moral virtue. It must be supposed therefore that the conditions in which they lived were upon the whole favourable to the devel opment of their women-folk, but investigation will show that this was not the case for all members alike of the agricultural community, who may be roughly divided into three classes : (a) Farmers, (b) Husbandmen, (c) Wage-earners.
