ALLOTMENT SYSTEM. 75 



the cottager, of saving the money which he spends on his pigs 

 and buying his bacon in the market, this, as it never has been, 

 and never will be so saved, we may dismiss. In the mean time, 

 his pig, besides its usefulness, is also a real pleasure to him ; it is 

 one of his principal interests in life ; he makes sacrifices to it : 

 he exercises self-control for its sake ; it prevents him living from 

 hand to mouth, stupidly careless of the future. I am persuaded 

 that a greater act of cruelty could hardly be perpetrated, than the 

 discountenancing this practice, or rather amusement and enjoy 

 ment, among the poor.&quot; * 



So much for the moral effects of this simple matter of the poor 

 man s keeping a pig, in which I perfectly agree with the writer, 

 and honor the benevolence which discerns, even in these humble 

 matters, a moral utility. It is difficult to say, why, when, the 

 rich man finds his pleasure in his hunters, his dogs, his game, his 

 menageries, and aviaries, the poor man should not have his 

 pleasure in his pig ; an animal, indeed, not always of the most 

 agreeable endowments, nor of very refined manners, but yet in 

 temper and manner susceptible of a considerable improvement by 

 education, and entitled to no small respect for his usefulness, 

 since if his master feeds him when living, he returns the kindness, 

 when dead, by feeding his master ; a merit which cannot be 

 ascribed to some other domestic pets far more expensively cher 

 ished and caressed. 



Too much indeed cannot be said in favor of the allotment 

 system, of its justice, its humanity, and its usefulness. Its influ 

 ence upon the happiness of the poor, arid its moral tendencies 

 its tendency to prevent idleness and dissipation, and to produce 

 sobriety, industry, and frugality, and especially to keep men at 

 home, arid attach them to their homes, most strongly recommend 

 it. Many facts prove that the laborers in some instances pay 

 full double the ordinary rent of the land, and find their account 

 in it. In most cases, however, the lease of a farmer forbids his 

 under-letting any portion of his land ; and allotments can only 

 be granted under special agreement, or by the particular consent 

 of the landlord. This is not always to be procured ; nor is it 

 always without strong opposition from the farmers themselves. 



It will perhaps be asked, by some of my readers, why do I 



* Sir H. Doyle s Report on Employment of Women and Children, p. 295. 



