IZS Means of enabling a Cottager to heep a Coio 



Indeed, fo far as I can judge, this advantageous fyftern is \n 

 the full as well adapted for the one diftrict as for the other. 

 It requires unqueftionablv more labour on the part of the 

 cottager, and of his family ; at the fame time, the occupation 

 of fo great an extent of ground is not fo neceffary in arable 

 as in grazing countries; a circumftance, in various refpects, 

 extremely material. 



In arrarging the following plan, (which the reader will 

 pleafe to confider merely as furnifhing an outline, to be per- 

 fected by further difcuflion and experiment,) it is propofed 

 to keep in view the following principles : 



1. That the cottager (hall raife, by his own labour, fome 

 of the mod material articles of fubiiitence for himfelf and his 

 family. 



2. That he (hall be enabled to fupply the adjoining mar* 

 kets with the fmaller agricultural productions. And, 



3. That both he amfhis family mall have it in their power 

 to affift the neighbouring farmers, at all fcafons of the year, 

 almofl equally as well as^if they had no land in their occu- 

 pation. 



It can hardly be queftioned, that if it were practicable to 

 have a number of cottagers of that defcription in every parifh, 

 it would promote, in various refpects, the interefts of the 

 public. 



JT. Extent of Land neceffary. 



Unlefs the experiment were fairly tried, it is impoflible to 

 ilate exactly the extent of arable land requifite to enable a 

 cottager to raife the articles generally neceflary for the fufte- 

 nance of himfelf and family ; and to keep a cow, fome pigs, 

 and poultry. Much muft depend on the natural richnefs of 

 the foil ; (though, under the management about to be pro- 

 pofed, almoft any foil would, in time, become fertile;) on 

 the nature of the climate ; on the fize of the cow ; on the 

 jnduflry of the cottager; on the age and number of his fa- 

 mily, &c. But I mould imagine that three ftatute acres 

 and a quarter of good arable land, worth from 10s. to 305. 

 per acre, would be fufficient. It is propofed that the three 

 acres fhall be under a regular courfe of cropping. The 

 quarter of an acre ought, if poflTble, to be converted into an 

 orchard ; where the cow might occafionally pafture, and 

 where a pond ought to be kept in good order, that it may 

 have plenty of water at command. Were the land of a qua- 

 lity fit for lucerne^ perhaps two acres and a quarter might be 

 fufficient. 



II. Stock 



