70 



Poore. In this case the occupiers have a source of winiei 1 

 income from the coppice and timber industries near at hand." 



MONMOUTH. Away from the towns there is little demand for 

 allotments, where cottages have good gardens and (which is 

 very general) potato ground is provided free of cost; in many 

 cases allotments have been given up. Of small holdings 

 Mr. Stratton writes : " Small holdings are readily taken up, 

 and no doubt more would be if offered within a reasonable 

 distance of towns or railway stations, but they are of little 

 account except for garden produce or poultry or both com- 

 bined; for corn growing they are impossible." Mr. Wrigley 

 says : " In former times small holdings were much sought 

 after, as the occupiers could obtain work on the farms or in the 

 woods, but from the fact of their having a cow or two of 

 their own they do not readily take to the work that is 

 now required on the farms, namely stock-keeping, which in- 

 volves longer hours and also Sunday duty; there is also not 

 nearly so much work in the woods. Consequently, the holdings 

 are increasing in size from 2 or 3 acres up to 10 acres, and 

 many of the cottages are being pulled down or converted into 

 buildings." 



Mr. Williams remarks that small holdings are let readily 

 at rents which, though comparatively high, would not cover the 

 interest on the outlay for the necessary house and buildings. 

 He writes : "In the neighbouring county of Hereford, a few 

 years ago a demand was made on a parish council to provide 

 small holdings ; a farm of about 30 acres was to be had at about 

 305. an acre, or reasonable terms of purchase. Three appli- 

 cants asked for 10 acres each; to provide two more sets of 

 buildings would have entailed an outlay the interest on which 

 would have brought the rent to nearly 3 an acre, so, I believe, 

 they were all refused." Mr. Williams does not think a lack of 

 small holdings has contributed to the decline in population. 



HEREFORD. The number of allotments appears to be equal 

 to requirements. As regards small holdings, Mr. Riley writes : 

 " Hereabouts, and, indeed, all over the county there are so 

 many small holdings that there has been no agitation for them. 

 It is true the applications are numerous when one is to let. 

 I had 80 for a very good grass farm of 40 acres (half 

 orcharding) this year, and over 50 for one of 20 acres three 

 years ago. It would be better to have more 12 to 30-acre farms, 

 but it simply does not pay to make them. The county being 

 adapted to orcharding, is very favourable for small holdings." 



Mr. Wootton writes : " Forty years ago there were quite a 

 number of 5 to 50-acre farms in this district, and many of 

 the cottages had from J to 2 acres of orcharding attached. An 

 industrious man with a family was able to keep a few sheep or 

 a cow or two, and grow fruit, &c. ; from this small beginning 

 many of the best and most practical farmers in our district have 



