COST OF LAND ACQUIRED 335 



purchased by the Council was most unsuitable for 

 the purpose of small holdings, and that the whole 

 matter was put before the Council in the first 

 instance by men who were not agriculturists and 

 who had no real understanding of the case. 



CONSIDERATION OF CASES WHERE 

 LAND HAS BEEN ACQUIRED. 



According to the return of 1903, 'the average 

 cost of land by the Local Authorities for the purpose 

 of small holdings, omitting the transaction in 

 London, appears to have varied from about 14 

 in Ross and Cromarty and 23 in Cambridgeshire 

 to 70 in Devon, the average of the 449 acres 

 purchased being nearly 36. An average amount 

 of approximately 2 per acre has been spent by 

 the County Councils in the adaptation of the land 

 for small holdings.' 



The following detailed reports on the present 

 condition of the holdings held under the various 

 County Councils have been made for the Co-opera- 

 tive Small Holdings Society : 



