68 



Holdings s P ec i a ^ surroundings, small holdings cannot be profitably 

 and cultivated, and in my district have not to my knowledge 

 Allotments, been asked for." 



DIVISION III. 



(a.) Counties of Salop, Worcester, Gloucester, Wilts, Monmoullt 



and Hereford. 



SALOP. There appears to be little demand for allotments, 

 which, except near the towns, are not a success. Of small 

 holdings, Mr. Morris writes : " There is a good demand for 

 convenient small holdings with houses and buildings thereon, 

 and a number of these would let readily to suitable tenants. 

 Land could no doubt be had at a reasonable price, but no one 

 seems disposed to bear the cost of the houses and buildings, 

 knowing that no ordinary tenant could pay anything like fail- 

 interest on the outlay.'' Mr. Lee states that holdings of 

 3 or 4 acres of grass land are not sufficiently plentiful, 

 and that had such been offered to thrifty labourers the 

 prospect would have counterbalanced the desire for change. 

 Mr. Thursfield writes: ''This district (Much Wenlock) is 

 particularly suited for small holdings; there are a good 

 number, and they are much sought after. Many were 

 provided when the 10 franchise gave votes in this, the 

 largest agricultural borough of England in those days. They 

 pay regularly, with no losses or arrears, form a stepping-stone 

 for a farm labourer and will keep him on the land. On a large 

 arable farm which I hold for many years each of my farm 

 labourers rented a small holding and had a row (men attending 

 to horses and cattle excepted) ; I found this attracted the best 

 workmen, and was most satisfactory to both parties." 



AYoRCESTER. Mr. Wheeler writes : "In this district nearly 

 all the cottages have fair-sized gardens. I laid out some allot- 

 ments about ten years ago, but they have all been given up. 

 1 do not think there is any difficulty in getting allotments in 

 any part of the county. The County Council have some in the 

 south of the county which are always let, but there is no very 

 great competition for them; the tendency is for the allotments 

 to get into fewer hands, the best tenants being anxious to take 

 an additional plot when one becomes vacant. No doubt more 

 small holdings would be taken up if they were available. As a 

 rule the small holder does better as a tenant that as a free- 

 holder; the latter generally goes under, at all events in the 

 second generation." The difficulties, he remarks, in the way 

 of the creation of small holdings are : 



(1) The expense of providing the necessary buildings. 



(2) The unwillingness of the large farmers to part with any 

 of their land, so that even if a landlord is willing to incur the 

 expense, a small holding can practically only be carved out 

 on a change of tenancy. 



