194 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



tution of a body collectively answerable for the rent and 

 taking all the dealing with the^single tenants in detail off 

 his hands — is to him amply worth the reduction in aggre- 

 gate rent. In our own country we have already some few 

 instances of collective renting. And they seem to answer 

 well. However, as has been explained elsewhere, these 

 instances do not altogether square with those observable 

 abroad, inasmuch as only to an infinitesimal extent do they 

 represent the creation of new homes or holdings, applying, 

 as they do, mainly to the mere acquisition of land by tenants 

 who have a home already. One method which appears 

 particularly deserving of recommendation is that devised 

 by Mr. W. L. Charleton, in imitation of what Mr. Vivian 

 has with so great success introduced into the urban housing 

 movement — namely, of a co-operative society buying the 

 land, and then letting it out in small holdings to its mem- 

 bers, who farm separately and independently, but share 

 jointly in the proceeds of the entire estate, the overplus 

 belonging collectively to them. There is real community 

 building in this. And it secures the additional advantage, 

 that tenants — renting their land, of course, subject to the 

 right of giving notice only on their own side, so long as 

 they fulfil their engagements to the society — who may wish 

 to surrender their holdings can easily and without loss — 

 probably more easily than would be otherwise possible — 

 get out of them, through the society, by transfer to a new 

 member. 



However, there are a good many other things still, which 

 especially small farmers and petty cultivators find that 

 they can with advantage accomplish in common by Co- 

 operation. And it should all along be borne in mind that 

 we at present particularly desire to increase the number 

 of such type of farmers. 



One thing for which Co-operation helps smaller folk 

 greatly is the common acquisition of implements and 

 machinery, the expense of which would be too great for a 

 single small man, and for which the small holding could 

 not afford adequate employment, although the use of it 

 must be of appreciable practical value. This is, by the 



