172 WILLINGTON LAND COMPANY 



ing for a very great number of years, and is in 

 a high state of cultivation. The land at Willington 

 is naturally not so good, but seems well adapted 

 for the same type of working. 



As regards communication, the land is situated 

 on either side of a good high road running from 

 Sandy to Bedford, and there is a station at Wil- 

 lington itself, on the London and North- Western 

 Railway. 



The present result of the purchase of this estate 

 for resale is that there are now about 120 men 

 employed where formerly there were seven or 

 eight. It is not an uncommon sight to see as 

 many as twenty-five people in one field. Last year 

 seventy were counted in one field getting potatoes. 

 Land that was formerly letting at from lis. to 17s. 

 an acre is now letting at from l 10s. to 3. The 

 cottages in the village which were originally let at 

 from lOd. to Is. 6d. a week, landlord paying rates, 

 now let at 3s., the tenant paying rates. 



Where 13s. to 15s. a week was being earned at 

 farm work, the wages now received by garden 

 labourers are from 25s. to 30s. a week. 



One man interviewed had 23 acres under market- 

 garden cultivation. He kept a lorry and horse, and 

 carted supplies to greengrocers in Bedford. He 

 was of opinion that this was the best thing for the 

 small men to do, as otherwise they could not 

 compete with the large local men who have their 

 own salesmen in towns, and who buy largely oft 

 their smaller neighbours. He complained of the 



