388 
T7ie Rothamsted Allotment Club. 
seats for summer occupation. I then ordered in a barrel or two 
of beer, and put up a notice that I should be glad if every 
owner of an allotment garden would meet me there on a certain 
evening. I need not say that curiosity and the attraction of the 
beer did not leave many absentees. I then told them the use 
I proposed to make of the building ; that every one holding a 
garden could be a member of the club ; that I would manage 
it for them for one year, selling them beer, subject to a few 
simple rules, after which they must elect their own committee 
of management, and form their own rules. I said that I had 
been advised to restrict them in the use of beer, but that I should 
not do this, merely observing that if the place got a bad name 
for drunkenness, the disgrace would extend to me as well as 
to themselves. I then left them to discuss the matter over their 
beer, and for the rest of the year rarely, if ever, went near the 
place. 
Labouring men are rather apt to imagine that if any one does 
them a kindness, his motives are not altogether disinterested. 
If they had thought one of my objects was to know more about 
their ideas and acts ; if, in fact, they had fancied that they did 
not possess entire freedom of action, they would not have aban- 
doned the public-house for the club. At the end of the year a 
dinner took place, and, by universal suffrage, twelve committee- 
men from amongst the members were elected to manage the 
club, and make rules for the ensuing year. At first some little 
jealousy existed between the agricultural labourers and the 
owners of gardens, who were somewhat above them in social 
position, and as the day labourers were necessarily in a large 
majority, the committee were entirely composed of that class. 
The result of this was mismanagement, and, generally, a clean 
sweep of the whole of the committee men at the end of the year. 
The day labourer is somewhat of a politician, and is fond of 
making laws, so that at one time the club was rather over-loaded 
with rules. But, having made these laws, he is by no means 
anxious to enforce them, and on one or two occasions I had to 
point out how important it was that the rules should be strictly 
enforced. In the course of time the jealousy referred to passed 
off, for it was found that the man whose social or pecuniary 
position was somewhat above that of the agricultural labourer 
possessed more intelligence than he, and was better able to 
conduct the affairs of the club. After this, instead of a com- 
plete change of ministry, the elections would pass off with 
comparatively small changes ; the present chairman, to whom, 
more than to any one else, the success of the club is due, having 
held this post for about seventeen years. From time to time 
the rules have been altered, as circumstances required : those 
