the labouring Poor. 53 1 



labourer can cultivate with advantage to himself, regard 

 should be had to the leisure time he has, and to the quantity 

 of manure he can collect ; for there can be no profit from his 

 land, unless there be a due proportion observed in these par- 

 ticulars. The quantity being thus determined, there is a third 

 thing to be considered, viz., the situation of the land. Here 

 it should be remembered, that the labourer is to cultivate his 

 land at his leisure time, after he has done an honest day's 

 work for the master who employs him. It is important, 

 therefore, that his land be near home ; for if it be at a dis- 

 tance, he will waste much time and strength in journeys to and 

 from it; whereas, if it adjoined, or were near, his house, no 

 time would be lost, and, in fact, he would spend many a half 

 hour in his garden, which he would be obliged to waste if the 

 garden were at a distance. Now, where a parish belongs 

 chiefly to one proprietor, it might generally be contrived that 

 the cottage allotments should be contiguous to the houses, 

 and in all cases they might be chosen at a convenient distance. 

 I often cast a longing look upon a little strip of land in the 

 rear of our village, which seems to be placed on purpose for 

 cottage allotments, within a few minutes' walk of the most 

 distant houses ; and I frequently wonder why the owner does 

 not let this land to his labourers, instead of some which is a 

 mile from home, for which they pay at the rate of four pounds 

 an acre : indeed, I have known men give to the small farmers of 

 the neighbourhood at the rate of eight pounds an acre, for 

 land still more distant; which proves, I think, that under 

 proper regulations the cottagers might become the most pro- 

 fitable tenants on an estate, and at least that it would answer 

 them to rent land at the same rate as the farmers pay for it, 

 or even a trifle more. 



I have been led to offer these few observations on a sub- 

 ject in which I take an interest, because I fear that the plan 

 of cottage allotments may fail in many instances, from being 

 overdone. I believe it will be found, on trial, that no man 

 in constant work can properly cultivate an acre of land at his 

 leisure hours. There are few, I think, who could manage 

 even half an acre, but a great deal must depend upon the 

 character of the man ; and, in many cases, a quarter of an acre 

 would be found sufficient. The system followed by your be- 

 nevolent correspondent H., Wales, p. 376., is one of the best, 

 I think, that can be generally adopted, both for the master and 

 labourer ; and, where this is impracticable, I should prefer 

 the plan of letting, to the superior class of labourers, a suf- 

 ficient quantity of grass land to keep one cow, instead of 

 supplying all with a large allotment of arable. A carter or 



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