64 



Small 

 Holdings 



and 

 Allotments. 



produce than is required for personal needs, or to feed a pig. 

 To working men near towns, however, allotments are a great 

 boon. Mr. Brown (Appleby, Lindsey) writes : <k There have 

 been here for a very long time more than 40 ' cow cottages ' ; 

 they are being given up and let to the farmers. In surrounding 

 parishes similar holdings are entirely given up." Mr. Frankish 

 (St. Catherines, Lindsey) says : " Labourers in Lincolnshire 

 generally have good gardens, or the farmer gives them potatoes, 

 or land to grow them on, and when a man is working all day 

 he does not want to go to an allotment. The tradesmen, black- 

 smiths, carpenters, &c., are generally the applicants, and often 

 get the lot in the end." 



As to small holdings, Mr. Morton (Washingboro 5 , Kesteven) 

 writes : " Few labourers have any capital to take up a small 

 holding. Some scheme should be devised lay which the best 

 and most industrious of them should have the chance of getting 

 one at a fair rent. At present, owing to the great demand, 

 small holdings command a higher rent than they are really 

 worth, generally 50 to 75 per cent, higher than similar land 

 let to larger tenants, and as the assessment for local rates is in 

 most Unions based upon the actual rent, this entails a double 

 hardship. Of course, for various reasons the rent of a small 

 holding must be to some extent higher than that of a larger 

 farm." Mr. Frankish thinks that there is not now any diffi- 

 culty in obtaining small holdings, but that there are few places 

 in Lines., except Holland, where they can pay, and even there 

 they are said to be overdone and profits very much reduced. 



Mr. Bellwood (Kirton Lindsey) writes : " There is a difficulty 

 in obtaining land for small holdings, for which there is a keen 

 demand, though many of those who have them are badly off. I 

 had fifty applications a fortnight ago for a farm of 32 acres, 

 from a single advertisement." 



YORK, E. RIDING. A difficulty is experienced in obtaining 

 suitable land for allotments and small holdings. Mr. Pearson 

 writes : " The land round here was originally owned by small 

 men, but, with few exceptions, now forms one estate. Some 

 villages are still occupied by small freeholders, and these may be 

 frequently detected by the dilapidated state of buildings, &c. No 

 system of small holdings can in my opinion prove successful 

 unless organised by a large landowner of a very sympathetic 

 nature. Precautions should be taken to prevent the sale, 

 mortgage, or splitting up of the property held." 



DIVISION II. 



(a.) Counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Berks and Hants. 



KENT. There is no difficulty in obtaining allotments. 

 Mr. Love (Eastchurch, Sheppey) writes: "There are several 

 allotments in hand in this parish, close to the village. All 

 the farm cottages have gardens attached, and are let at 2s. to 



