TYPICAL CASES 189 



more land he would not be able to cultivate it 

 without help or capital. 



Two agricultural labourers held 1-acre plots, and 

 had put up their own houses on borrowed money, 

 which they paid off in instalments. Neither of 

 them at present works regularly for a farmer, but do 

 jobbing work ; this leaves them free to put in a 

 day's work on their holdings when necessary. They 

 kept pigs and poultry, and grew large quantities 

 of potatoes and green-stuff for home consump- 

 tion, selling the surplus to the dealers who came 

 round to collect produce. When they had not time 

 to dig their plots they had part of them ploughed 

 and grew corn. It seemed to be important that 

 the holding for agricultural labourers in regular 

 work should not be of a larger size than they could 

 manage themselves in the evenings. For they could 

 not arrange to work a larger holding profitably. 



The general consensus of opinion was that as 

 adjuncts the holdings were invaluable, but that no 

 man could bring up a family on the holding alone. 

 Working, as most of them did, at a regular 

 winter trade, and at farm work in summer, the 

 holdings were specially valuable in providing 

 employment for the autumn and spring months, 

 when they might otherwise have a difficulty in 

 getting work. 



HOUSES ERECTED BY HOLDERS. 



Of the forty-nine holders, thirty-three had built 

 houses ; a Rechabite hall and a mission hall had 



