On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
753 
dwellings  of  the  poor  ; how  much  more  is  needed  those  know  best 
who  are  familiar  with  the  moral  degradation  which  ensues  on 
crowding  all  the  members  of  a family  into  one  small  sleeping- 
room.  There  are  many  small  tenements  in  Somersetshire,  built 
by  the  poorer  classes  on  small  freeholds,  copyholds,  and  life  leases, 
in  many  cases  on  Church  property  ; these  are  frequently  mort- 
gaged, the  occupier  clinging  to  his  little  property  with  as  much 
tenacity  as  the  head  of  the  oldest  gentleman’s  family  ; the  interest 
of  the  mortgage  is  considerably  less  than  the  rent  of  a cottage 
would  be ; but  the  houses  are  often  in  a very  bad  state,  and  the 
inhabitants  much  distressed. 
In  the  practical  adoption  of  the  system  of  “field gardens"  for 
labourers,  Somersetshire  is  in  advance  perhaps  of  all  other  counties. 
The  late  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells  (Dr.  Law)  was  one  of  the 
first  to  promote  it.  In  East  Somerset  twenty  years  ago,  I am  in- 
formed, that  except  by  him  not  a rood  of  land  was  so  appropriated. 
In  1831  Captain  Scobell,  to  whom  I am  indebted  for  information 
on  this  and  other  subjects,  was  led  bv  the  circumstances  of  Eng- 
land at  that  time  to  turn  his  attention  to  the  subject ; he  met  with 
support  from  a few,  and  was  thwarted  by  the  many  ; but  in  that 
year  the  system  was  planted  in  the  parishes  of  Midsomer  Norton 
and  High  Littleton,  and  he  has  now  130  field-garden  tenants  in 
those  parishes  and  North  Brewham.  The  land  is  let  at  the 
wholesale  price  which  a farmer  would  give  for  it,  not  a farthing 
more  or  less.  He  informs  me  that  it  requires  about  8 acres  in 
1000  acres  to  make  the  system  universal,  and  he  estimates  that 
there  are  now  in  the  250  parishes  of  East  Somerset  1000  acres  so 
appropriated,  occupied  by  5200  families,  helping  to  maintain 
therefore  26,000  poor  men,  women,  and  children.  He  believes 
that  each  acre  so  applied  has  created  80  full  days’  work  annually, 
and  yields  a produce  of  nearly  20f.  over  and  above  rent,  which  is 
on  the  average  21.  per  acre.  As  to  the  social  value  of  the  system. 
Captain  Scobell  adds,  “ Take  the  fact  which  I answer  for,  of  the 
entire  occupiers  of  field-gardens  in  the  two  parishes  of  Midsomer 
Norton  and  High  Littleton  during  nearly  20  years,  only  three 
have  been  convicted  of  crime.” 
The  Rev.  H.  Stratton  Coles,  Secretary  of  the  Chard,  Crew- 
kerne,  and  Ilminster  Association,  informs  me  that  about  1000 
allotments  are  let  by  the  Society  in  38  parishes  ; he  adds  that  the 
value  set  on  their  allotments  by  the  poor  is  very  great ; he  says, 
“ A quarter  of  an  acre,  at  a fair  rent,  if  properly  cultivated,  will 
produce  vegetables  worth  Is.  6 d.  or  2s.  per  week,  in  addition  to 
the  rent,  manure,  and  labour,  and  this  without  the  cost  of  a 
farthing  to  the  landowner,  whose  rent  is  paid,  and  land  improved.” 
The  Rev.  W.  Chdcott,  of  Monksilver,  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  has  for  many  years  made  great  exertions  to  promote  the 
