TYPICAL HOLDINGS 113 



factory and over 1,000 on the farms in the picking 

 season. Last season (1905) 10,300 was paid in 

 wages. This fact, by which the women and 

 children can add to the family's earnings, has no 

 doubt largely contributed to the possibility of a 

 man starting on a few acres of land and working his 

 way up gradually. It is rather by this indirect way 

 that the factory has helped the small-holding 

 question, than by the more direct way, noticeable 

 in Cambridgeshire, where the establishment of 

 Chivers's jam factory at Histon has helped so largely 

 in the creating of small fruit holdings. All the 

 older holdings at Tiptree are well planted with 

 fruit ; but I was informed by Mr. Wilkin that he 

 in no way encouraged the production of fruit on 

 these holdings by buying for his purposes, as the 

 company could only ensure getting the best fruit 

 by growing it themselves on their own farms. 



To sum up the features of this case, seed-growing 

 is the basis of cultivation for the smaller holdings ; 

 but there is no doubt that the special prosperity of 

 those at Tiptree is also very largely due to the fact 

 that the smaller ones can be used as adjuncts to 

 the labour created by the jam and fruit-growing 

 industry. As an instance of the well-being of the 

 workpeople employed at the factory it might be 

 mentioned that last year eight of them bought 

 plots of land on which to build their houses. The 

 buildings have been erected by the aid of Building 

 Societies or by the employers of the men. 



The district is particularly interesting as an 



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