81 



KINROSS. Mr. Tod states there is no difficulty. No one, lie Small 

 says, wishes to engage in land holding. Holdings 



and 

 LINLITHGOW. Mr. Grlendinning states that there is no special Allotments. 



demand for small holdings, unless close to big centres of popu- 

 lation, and that this cannot, therefore, "be held to have 

 accounted for the decline. 



MIDLOTHIAN. There is said to be no demand for small 

 holdings. 



PEEBLES. Mr. Ritchie states that, practically, small hold- 

 ings cannot be got. Wealthy proprietors will not, and poor 

 proprietors cannot supply the necessary buildings. Mr. Con- 

 stable is of opinion that an increase in the number of small 

 holdings, sufficiently large to keep a family, would be bene- 

 ficial, but states that he has not heard of any demand for 

 allotments. 



PERTH. Mr. Craig writes: " There is difficulty in getting 

 small holdings in this part of the country. iSmall farms, as a 

 rule, let well, and there is no doubt if a certain number of these 

 were created, either on the hill or arable land, they would soon 

 find occupants. The class of men, however, who would take these 

 farms are not those who are anxious to get employment in 

 towns, but the (thriftier farm bailiffs, ploughmen, shepherds, 

 and the sons of small farmers, who are at any rate likely to 

 remain in the country. They would, however, be more likely 

 to stick to country life if there were a prospect of farming, and 

 especially of owning land on their own account." Mr. 

 McDiarmid states that in his district there is no great desire 

 for small holdings, and that in two townships the number has 

 declined from 20 to 13 and from 8 or 9 to 2, respectively, since 

 1881. Mr. Hutcheson observes that there is not much demand 

 for small holdings unless for fruit growing, &c. He considers 

 that anything smaller than a farm employing one or two pairs 

 of horses would be useless for growing ordinary crops. 



In the case of allotments, Mr. Craig says : " They have not 

 been a success in this quarter. The artisan or other workman 

 holding land which is not sufficient to take up his whole time 

 and attention has usually farmed his allotment badly and soon 

 tired of it." 



ROXBURGH. There is said to be great difficulty in obtaining 

 small holdings, mainly owing to the expense of providing 

 buildings. At the same time, it is not thought that the want of 

 either small holdings or allotments has contributed to the 

 either small holdings or allotments has contributed to the de- 

 cline. Mr. Smith writes : " It is very desirable that there should 

 be more small farms of not less than 100 acres. These would 

 employ a man, his son, and two daughters. At present these 

 small farms are limited, and those stewards and shepherds who 

 have capital of from 500 to 1,000 are either unable to get 

 such farms or are forced to pay exorbitant rents, There are 

 25176 F 



