THE HISTON ESTATE 157 



In 1899 the estate was sold to a local farmer and 

 butcher for 700, less 52 costs. 



At that time it was let to thirteen tenants in lots 

 of from 1 to 17 acres. The average rent per acre 

 was 29s., the company paying rates. 



At the present time this purchaser farms 12 acres 

 himself, and the rest is let to seventeen tenants. 



The tenants are mostly farm-labourers. Some 

 have land elsewhere, and make a living on it. One 

 of the latter class, holding 5 acres of this land, 

 had 18 acres altogether. He had 1 acre of straw- 

 berries, with onions between, some raspberries, 

 and the rest was in farm crops for his pigs and 

 horses and home consumption. 



Most of the smaller plots had one crop right 

 through either oats, wheat, potatoes, beans, or 

 mangels. One or two men grew onions and carrots, 

 as well as corn and roots. 



There were some good crops, especially of wheat, 

 on the land, but it is hopelessly heavy for a small 

 man to work. The access to it is bad and incon- 

 venient, and it is some little distance from housing 

 of any sort. 



A more unsuitable place for the purposes of this 

 undertaking could not well be imagined. 



Nevertheless, one or two of the men working on 

 the land intimated that they would have been 

 very glad to buy lots at the price at which it was 

 eventually sold, but that, as it was all put up in one 

 lot, they were not given the chance. There was a 

 very great difference between 37 an acre and 12, 



