20 HORTICULTURE LECT. i 



while the greater the bulk and better the quality of 

 the crops raised, the greater the advantage must be 

 to the consuming public who have to purchase their 

 supplies. 



The custom of limiting all men, regardless of their 

 cultural capacity, to prescribed quantities of land is 

 based on unsound economic principles. Those men 

 who manage land the best should be encouraged the 

 most. Land-star vers ought to be discouraged, and 

 not permitted to spoil land which in capable hands 

 might be rendered highly productive. 



The man who by his labour and judgment obtains 

 the most from his plot year by year does the best 

 for himself, the best for the land, and the best 

 for the community. Yet according to the custom 

 that prevails, no more encouragement is given to 

 such a man than to his slovenly neighbour, whose 

 plot bears on its face the unmistakable brand of 

 negligence. 



Every man should have an incentive to endea- 

 vour something to hope for, something to win. 

 An owner of a field of allotments reserves to him- 

 self the right to vary the rent according to the 

 results. He takes note of the condition of the plots 

 during the season and puts a shilling or two of rent 

 on the worst, and takes a shilling or two off those 

 which are managed the best. Thus the negligent are 

 fined for their negligence when this is proved, not 

 otherwise, as in the case of misfortune while the 

 thrifty are rewarded. 



Tf a negligent man becomes unpleasant over the 

 matter, his plot is simply handed over to a man who 

 has proved by his work that he can manage it well. 

 But this seldom happens, as the risk of incurring the 

 penalty on the one hand, or gaining an advantage on 

 the other exerts a wholesome influence, and the plots 



