THE FUTURE OF THE VILLAGE. 191 



That is the kind of case in which the timely intervention of 

 an outside body can do much to sweep away a difficulty. 



In a general way it will be found more economic and equally 

 satisfactory to the householder, to attach a small, rather than 

 a large, garden to his cottage. But if this be done, it is desirable 

 that a strip of land should, if possible, be provided immediately 

 behind the cottage gardens, and divided up for the general 

 use of all, or any of, the cottagers desiring such additional land. 

 This plan is in many respects preferable to having a large garden 

 attached to every cottage, as in the event of one of the cottagers 

 not requiring his garden the land is apt to be left derelict, while 

 if a small garden only be attached this risk is greatly minimised. 

 Moreover, if access to additional land be provided in this manner, 

 an energetic householder can, if he so desires, be provided with 

 a larger area to cultivate. It also has the further advantage in 

 that there is less risk of land being wasted in the case of the 

 householders not requiring it ; for being in the adjacent field 

 it can in many cases be absorbed into the neighbouring farmed 

 lands. 



So much, then, for cottage gardens. 



(6) Milk. The provision of an adequate supply of milk 

 must be looked upon as an absolute essential and how often 

 this is lacking in the villages, even in the very villages in which 

 the most milk is produced. 



Farmers, who are milk producers, object and reasonably 

 object, to supplying small quantities of milk and skim milk. 

 They object to being at one and the same time small retailers 

 and large wholesalers, with the result that often little or no 

 milk is available for local residents in the village in which it is 

 produced. 



It is not, however, in most cases, a difficult matter to devise 

 a scheme which may overcome the objections of the farmer and 

 at the same time provide for the local requirements in regard 

 to milk. 



It may, perhaps, be found of interest to set out the steps 

 which were taken recently in a certain village to overcome this 

 difficulty. 



The local milk-producing farmer was approached and asked 

 to provide milk at wholesale prices in agreed quantities, subject 

 only to monthly revision. A labourer, working with the farmer, 

 who also happened to have a small shop in the village, under- 

 took to keep a register of all persons willing to come to his shop 

 for the purpose of obtaining milk or skim milk. The labourer 

 made himself responsible for supplying milk at retailed prices 

 in the quantities requisitioned on his register, purchasing the 

 milk wholesale from the farmer. All persons on the register 

 were required to pay for the milk for which they had made requisi- 



