FARMING BY COLLECTIVE EFFORT 155 



vated we shall have to house a very much 

 larger rural population. Between 1872 and 

 I 9 I 4» 3i rnillion acres of land were lost to 

 the plough. We recovered some of this in 

 191 7-1 8, yet I suppose to-day we have still 

 2 million acres to plough to bring ourselves 

 up to the level of 1872. This would mean 

 cottages for at least an additional 50,000 

 workers, without taking into consideration the 

 greater number which would be required for 

 intensive cultivation, or for men employed at 

 reclaiming the waste, or indeed for housing 

 adequately the people already living in villages, 

 for whom alone it is estimated another 200,000 

 houses are needed. 



In making any attempt at village-planning 

 we should immediately "re-enclose" the land 

 which lies close to village streets, not only to 

 provide for the growth of the village and to 

 forestall the creation of a huddled rural slum, 

 but also to provide villagers with allotments 

 and pastures handy for the keeping of a cow, a 

 pony, ducks, or hens. Our moribund Parish 

 Councils would have some new life infused into 

 them if they had the control over these small 

 areas of common land. If they were also made 

 the watchdogs of bad cultivation, becoming the 

 advisory sub-committees, reporting to County 

 Agricultural Committees, farm labourers would 

 take a greater interest in Parish Council 

 elections. 



