Small 

 Holdings 



and 

 Allotments. 



300 acres, and a greater number from 20 to 100 acres. It is 

 not considered that a lack of holdings has contributed in any 

 degree to the decline. 



CAMBRIDGE. It is reported that there is no difficulty in ob- 

 taining land for allotments. Mr. Jenyns writes : " I have 

 several acres just outside my park let to 15 allotment holders at 

 a rent of 7*. 6d. per rood, payable yearly at Michaelmas, and 

 Is. per rood is returned if the rent is paid within one week of 

 demand. I pay rates, &c., and keep up the hedges. Under 

 these conditions I have no difficulty with the tenants, and the 

 land is fairly well cultivated. Here, many of the cottages have 

 good gardens attached; and an annual flower show, in which 

 great interest is taken, has done much to improve the quality of 

 the produce grown. If a farm labourer has a good garden at 

 his back door, it is almost as much land as he can well cultivate. 

 Allotments must be near the centre of a village to make them 

 of any practical use." 



As regards small holdings, the same writer says : " A neigh- 

 bouring landlord who farms a large quantity of his own land 

 informs me that he has made a point of letting land to small 

 holders when asked for it, but in his experience they cannot be 

 made to pay unless the holders have some other employment 

 or occupation as well. They work harder and fare worse than 

 farm labourers. He adds that his allotments are about half 

 unlet, and have been taken in bulk by a small holder on the 

 understanding that should they be required again as allotments 

 he would have to give way." 



In the opinion of another adjoining landlord, Mr. Jenyns 

 states, one great obstacle to the creation of small holdings is that 

 their planning out involves the disintegration of larger farms, 

 and while the provision of appropriate sites for buildings is a 

 matter of considerable difficulty, the construction of the latter 

 is very costly. The importance of the neighbourhood of a 

 steady market as a factor in successful management is also 

 urged. Mr. Jenyns remarks that a good deal of surplus pro- 

 duce is grown in the gardens of agricultural labourers, and 

 that it would be an advantage if this could be collected, say, 

 once a week, by motor vans, conveyed to a central depot, and 

 there packed and despatched ; by this means a possible market 

 would be opened to the producer. 



Mr. Stephenson writes : " By far the largest proportion 

 of land in this district is unsuitable for small holdings. 

 These require a deep rich free-working soil and a good 

 market for their garden or other special produce. Most 

 of Cambridgeshire is corn and sheep-producing land, and 

 these products cannot pay with small holdings. I hold the 

 opinion very decidedly that the attempt to bring population 

 back to the country to work on the land will end in disappoint- 

 ment, excepting in special circumstances." He anticipates, 



