344 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



area, the extent of which I cannot tell, since a report long 

 promised has been delayed in the process of publication 

 for some years already. We have something of the same 

 sort, on a very small scale, already in this country since 

 a few years — in Wiltshire, in Northamptonshire, and else- 

 where. However, Co-operation there docs not go nearly 

 as far as it does in the foreign countries named and is in 

 the main restricted to collective leasing. The members of 

 Italian affittanze collettive become co-operators for good and 

 all. Some of their societies farm the land in common, after 

 the fashion of Ralahine and Assington. The movement, 

 like nearly all working men's movements in Italy, being 

 under Socialist inspiration, the " collectivist " idea is, as 

 a matter of course, strongly supported in them. However, 

 practical considerations have militated against its practical 

 adoption except in a minority of cases. But the settlers 

 rent in common — of course at a great economy of rent — 

 and continue to act in common as co-operators, forming 

 part of the great co-operative movement, although parcelling 

 out the collective holding into distinct special holdings 

 {a conduziona divisa), to be separately worked. 



The policy pursued seems justified, among other things, 

 by the experience gathered in this country and recorded 

 in the Report of the Poor Law Commissioners of 1833, to 

 the effect that " Parish farms " had proved a failure, whereas 

 " allotments " had proved a success. 



There is no doubt that if we were to adopt similar means, 

 adapted to our circumstances, whether for renting or for 

 purchasing in common, to partition afterwards, according 

 to demand, we might make things more convenient for the 

 lessor or vendor, and cheaper as well as more convenient 

 for the settlers. 



One way of applying such idea is that shaped on Mr. 

 Vivian's method of " Tenant Co-operators," under which 

 a society buys the land in common and then lets it in lots, 

 liable to notice from the occupier, but not, so long as the 

 terms agreed upon are observed, from the landlord, all 

 overplus netted going into a common fund. Under such 

 procedure the parts of offering and preparing a plan would 



