328 Allen on Home Colonisation. 



" One great object of this Society might be, to encourage the formation 

 of an association among the poor, for their mutual benefit. This associa- 

 tion would give each family an interest in a cow, and a supply of manure 

 for the garden, a point of the utmost consequence, as without an arrange- 

 ment for a regular and constant supply of manure, all plans for cultivating 

 the earth must utterly fail. 



" It has been found, by actual experiment, that when pains are taken to 

 dig land well with a spade, and to put all the manure upon it, which can 

 be obtained, and to sow and plant it with suitable things, that a small gar- 

 den, beside furnishing potatoes, cabbage, and other food for the family, 

 might keep a pig or two ; and four families, each having a garden of 64 

 rods only, by appropriating 56 rods of their garden to the growth of cer- 

 tain things to be pointed out, would be able to keep a cow all the year 

 round. 



" A cow eats about a hundred pounds weight of green food in a day and 

 a night, and in the winter, may be well kept, upon a daily supply of 

 50lb. of yellow beet root. 

 30lb. of turnips, or carrots, or parsnips. 

 2olb. of potatoes boiled, or steamed. 

 7lb. of oat straw, 

 7lb. of hay. 

 This will be reckoned a very large allowance. 



" It has been distinctly proved that half an acre, or 80 rods of land of 

 average quality is sufficient to keep a cow, provided that the food be cut, 

 and brought to her, in a place where she shall have room to walk about, 

 and be able to get under shelter at night, and in rainy weather ; therefore, 

 if sixteen families were to join together in an association for their mutual 

 benefit, they might keep four cows between them ; or twenty families, five 

 cows ; twenty-four families, six cows, and so on. The following is a sketch 

 of the proposed association : 



" An association shall be formed of agricultural labourers and others, 



under the name of the Independent Cottagers of , the object of 



which shall be to promote the comfort and happiness of the members, to 

 render them independent of parish relief, and, if possible, to make some 

 provision against sickness or accident. Every member on admission shall 

 sign the following engagement, and is to be expelled the association if he 

 break it : 



" 1. To observe, strictly, moral conduct. 



" 2. To receive no allowance whatever from the parish. 



" 3. To cultivate the garden with which he will be intrusted, in the man- 

 ner that shall be prescribed. To underlet no part of it, not to damage or 

 remove any shrubs, or trees, and to keep the land manured to the satisfac- 

 tion of the proprietor. 



" 4. To send all his children, who may be of a suitable age, to the schools 

 of industry, unless a satisfactory reason why they should not be given. 



" 5. To observe the bye-laws which may be agreed to by the majority. 



" Cows shall be kept in the proportion of one cow to every four fami- 

 lies. The milk, after having been once skimmed for butter, shall be equally 

 divided among the members, as shall also the manure from the cows. 



" The Benevolent Society of ■ will advance the money for cows, 



and also for the purchase of tools ; and hay and straw for the cows in win- 

 ter : likewise the rent of the gardens, and salary of the dairyman, and will 

 charge interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum. The butter shall be 

 sold, and carried to the credit of the account, and every member shall pay 

 sixpence per week to the fund. 



" Each member shall be equally interested in the stock of cows, so long 

 as he keeps up his contributions, either in money or otherwise, and in 



