Small 

 Holdings 



and 

 Allotments. 



SHETLAND. Mr. Anderson does not think there is any 

 difficulty in obtaining land either for allotments or small hold- 

 ings. 



STIRLING. Mr. Drysdale states that there is little demand 

 for small holdings in his district, but that there would be no 

 difficulty in getting land if there were a prospect of a man 

 and his family making a decent living on it. No applications 

 for allotments have been made to the county or parish councils 

 in the district. In many cases married farm-servants are 

 neglecting to cultivate the garden plots attached to their 

 dwelling-houses. Mr. Malcolm writes as follows : " There is 

 a difficulty in obtaining small holdings as there are few in the 

 county. No small holding could be made to keep a man and 

 family or even to pay if it was not large enough to 

 require a pair of horses to work it. This would require, say, 

 from 40 to 50 acres. The man would require to work the 

 holding with the assistance of his family, and even then it 

 would be a hard struggle. The principal difficulty in getting 

 holdings of this size would be the house and farm buildings. A 

 landlord might consent to break up large farms, but, say, a 

 sum of 800 was required for the buildings, this at 5 per cent, 

 would mean a first charge of 40 yearly. Then as most of the 

 land here is rented about 30s. per acre, a 40-acre holding would 

 be worth 60 yearly; adding the 40, it would mean 100 

 yearly rent. Another point to consider is that to stock this 

 small holding 10 per acre is required, and few labourers ever 

 save 400. No one could expect a labourer to want a small 

 holding and pay 100 rent, if by going to Canada he can get 

 160 acres free. I know I could never advise an industrious 

 man to stay in Scotland and slave to pay a heavy rent and as 

 heavy taxes." 



WIGTOWN. Mr. Ealston writes : " Allotments are more 

 numerous within recent years, and the demand for them still 

 continues. Small holdings, at one time numerous, have been 

 gradually absorbed by large farms. This is accounted for in 

 some measure by landlords being unwilling to keep up expen- 

 sive buildings on small places, the interest on them often 

 swallowing more than the rent, but many small holdings have 

 been given up through the inability of the holders to exist. 

 The want of a number of these holdings may have some effect 

 in contributing to the decline in population." Mr. McMaster 

 states that no difficulty has been experienced in getting allot- 

 ments. When an applicant has failed to obtain such by 

 voluntary agreement with the proprietor, the County Council 

 has invariably secured what was required on satisfactory 

 terms. There has been, he states, no demand for small hold- 

 ings. 



