Yeoman Stock

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Yeoman Stock is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in the Daily Express No. 2687, 21 november 1908.


Yeoman Stock

Daily Express No. 2687 (p. 4)

To the editor of the "Express."

Sir, — In your report of my remarks at Tunbridge Wells, I am made to speak of replanting human stock upon the land. What I said was "yeoman stock."

It seems to me that it would be possible to use the Small Holdings Bill upon a largescale, if it were taken up by some central philanthropic agency, such as that established by the late Dr. Edwards.

The plan would consist of a central agricultural college for training small farmers, their transfer to small lands which has been prepared for them by experts from the same agency, finally th epayment for the farm by instalments spread over years. Fifty years of such a system would give us our yeomen back again.

Why colonise the ends of the earth when so much of Britain is still uncultivated?

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Windlesham, Crowborough, Sussex