ALLOTMENT GARDENS. 



into compartments varying from 1 8 in. to 

 24 in. in width. It is also applied to small 

 paths from 9 in. to 12 in. wide, separating 

 beds one from another. In this case the 

 path thus called is only temporary. 



Allotment Gardens. 



It would be beyond the purpose of this 

 work to point out the many and great 

 benefits which result from the allotment of 

 a small portion of land for a garden to 

 every cottage. These are so obvious that 

 they may be taken for granted here, and 

 the only thing needful is to show how such 

 allotments may be managed to the best 

 advantage. Many cottages, especially in 

 small agricultural parishes, have land 

 enough attached to them for the purpose 

 of forming a garden which shall supply the 

 wants of the family. The case, however, 

 is different with cottages situated in popu- 

 lous villages and on the outskirts of large 

 towns. Here, for the most part, a rod or 

 two of land in front, and the same quantity 

 for a yard at the back the cottages being 

 generally built in rows is all that can be 

 attached to each, and, under such circum- 

 stances, the want of a garden is well sup- 

 plied by the allotment system. 



The field that is selected and set apart for 

 garden allotments should, as a matter of 

 course, be situated as near as possible to 

 the cottages for which they are required, 

 and it should have the convenience of a 

 supply of soft water either from a pond or 

 running stream. The rent at which allot- 

 ments are let must be determined by the 

 value of land in the neighbourhood. It 

 should include all rates, taxes, and other 

 outgoings of a like nature, and may be 

 fixed somewhat higher than the rent of 

 ordinary farm-land, but not so high as 

 market-garden ground. The extent of 

 each allotment should be not less than a 

 quarter of an acre, nor more than half an 

 acre. Little benefit can be derived from 



; ALLOTMENT GARDENS. 



less than the former quantity, and if hail 

 an acre be exceeded, there is great danger 

 that the cottager will become unsettled as 

 a day-labourer or mechanic, while his occu- 

 pation will not be large enough to make 

 him either a farmer or market-gardener. 

 Spade husbandry must be insisted upon, 

 and each allotment, to all intents and pur- 

 poses, be treated as a cottage-garden. In 

 an allotment of half an acre it is quite 

 allowable that one-fourth may be cultivated 

 in wheat or some other cereal, and one- 

 fourth in potatoes each year, or half in 

 wheat and half in potatoes in alternate 

 years ; but certainly, in all cases, one 

 quarter of an acre should be stocked with 

 what are properly called garden vegetables. 

 The same portion of land should not be 

 cropped with wheat and potatoes in con- 

 tinual succession, but after two years a 

 change should be made with the other 

 portion which has been cropped with 

 garden produce. Indeed, the soil must 

 naturally be very good, and also be well 

 done by, to admit of such a close succes- 

 sion of wheat and potatoes. Barley or rye 

 may, with advantage, be made now and 

 then a substitute for wheat, and mangold 

 wurzel will at times profitably take the 

 place of potatoes ; some provision, of 

 course, having been made for a sufficient 

 quantity of these for the use of the family. 

 In agricultural parishes, the growing of 

 seeds turnip, mangold wurzel, carrots, 

 and parsnip seeds either on a portion of 

 the allotment ground, or, what is better, 

 on the land attached to a cottage, is found 

 profitable ; especially where there are chil- 

 dren who can assist in keeping off the birds 

 while the seed is ripening. Seed-growing 

 will make a good change with wheat and 

 potatoes ; but it should not be encouraged, 

 except in cases where the allotment ex- 

 ceeds the quarter of an acre. 



The laying-out and division of a field 

 into its proper allotments is a matter oi 



