362 Co-operation in Tenure of Small Holdings, [aug., 



land also was already cut up into convenient sized fields with 

 access to roads, so that little fencing was necessary. As 

 regards subsequent fencing, the society supplies materials 

 and the tenant furnishes the labour. The farm comprises 139 

 acres of down land, 250 pasture, and 44 arable. The pasture 

 is let in 27 lots, from under 1 acre to 27 acres in size; the 

 average rent is 36s. per acre. The down land is held collec- 

 tively; everyone with over 3 acres of land must hold one 

 lease, i.e., grazing for one head of stock. Milk production 

 being the main occupation of the small holders, the down 

 tand is found useful for turning out dry cattle and young 

 stock. The milk is disposed of, as already mentioned, to the 

 two factories at Mere and Gillingham. 



Of the 28 small holders, 1 1 are making their main living 

 off the land only, the remainder using their holdings as 

 adjuncts. Of these, all have had previous experience in farm- 

 ing except six, who, however (with the exception of one man 

 holding 24 acres), only hold a few acres. All the men live in 

 Mere or outside on the edge of the farm itself, so that there 

 has been no difficulty in the provision of buildings. The 

 men entered on the land at Michaelmas, 1908, and at once 

 replaced on the land the same head of stock which had 

 formerly been kept on the farm. The half-year's rent was 

 also punctually paid up. 



A point of interest in connection with the development of 

 this scheme is that the men have begun to co-operate in a 

 small way amongst themselves without any suggestion from 

 outside that they should do so. Some of those who are milk- 

 producers arrange together so that one of their number only 

 delivers the milk at the factory. A gradual extension of such 

 methods from these beginnings will no doubt lead to a wider 

 system of co-operation, which will have arisen from the fact 

 of the men having started the scheme from its first initiation 

 with the co-operative idea. 



The Mere Small Holdings Association is an example of 

 what has been done in a purely agricultural district to supply 

 men with land which they will cultivate as small farms. 



At Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire, another society formed 

 under the Agricultural Organisation Society has got its 

 members installed on farm land, which they are cultivating 



