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1875
A wet summer ruins harvests and ushers in an agricultural depression. The cereal harvests fail four years in a row, and in 1877, potato blight and famine return to parts of Ireland (see 1845 Irish famine). British grain becomes scarce and costly, and it is cheaper for people to buy imported American grain. Many landowners give up growing cereals and switch to livestock. In 1879, this causes mass evictions in Ireland and the Land War starts. The Conservative government passes some reforms to try and help farmers, but these rely on landlords' goodwill. Disraeli refuses to provide financial relief because it might force him to increase taxes. The weather improves after 1879, but many sectors of agriculture remain depressed, with livestock farmers facing competition from refrigerated and canned foreign imports. Rural unemployment is high and people migrate to the towns in search of work. This is hard to come by, as industry and commerce are still immersed in the Great Depression. After the Liberals win the 1880 general election, they introduce modest measures to help farmers. They abolish malt tax, allow tenant farmers to shoot small amounts of game for food and compel landlords to pay compensation for tenants' improvements. But agriculture does not emerge from its slump until the economy as a whole starts to recover in the mid-1890s. |
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