230 History of the English Landed Interest. 



enclosures have been tlie cause of a decrease of population, but 

 a far greater number maintain contrary opinions." Additional 

 labour, improved air, increase of produce, a greater opportunity 

 of residence, had followed the introduction of the enclosure 

 system. A class of cottagers who maintained a cow and culti- 

 vated a patch of potatoes had sprung into existence, and there 

 were ocular proofs of an increase in the inhabitants of the 

 district. " The effect of enclosures on population," writes the 

 Nottinghamshire ^ authority, " is apparent," especially amidst 

 the forest enclosures, " which afford much more employment 

 than in their former state, nor is there any appearance of 

 depopulation in the Clays." The Staffordshire writer,^ where 

 the heavy soil of the commons encouraged rot, makes this 

 pertinent suggestion. " Enclosures," he says, " can only effect 

 the improvement of stock. Respecting population I have no 

 doubt but the means of employment are increased by enclo- 

 sures, by the planting and reparation of fences. To prove 

 the superiority of enclosures, let us put the case of a proposal 

 made to throw a well-fenced enclosed country into common 

 fields, and I believe every mind would revolt at the idea." 



All this evidence, however, does not controvert the follo"v\'ing 

 view of the case from the cottager's standpoint : " Besides 

 the farmers," writes the literary member of the Society 

 of Farmers,^ so often alluded to in this chapter, " there are 

 other village people, such as the cottager, the mechanic, and 

 inferior shopkeeper, to whom common rights are an incite- 

 ment to industry. Their children, sent out to yearly service 

 amongst the farmers, manage in time to scrape together £20 

 or £30 ; marry young women possessed of an equal sum, obtain 

 a cottage, and purchase cows, calves, sheep, hogs, and poultry. 

 Then, while the husband hires himself out as a day labourer, 

 the wife stops at home and herds the livestock on the common. 

 Oat of the former's wages the rent of cottage, orchard, and one, 

 two, or three acres of meadow ground is paid, which, save for 

 the rights of common, would be insufficient of themselves to 



* Reports to the Board of Agriculture in 1794. * Id. Ihid. 



3 A Political Inquiry, etc, Holborn, 1785. 



