Allotments mid Small Holdings. 
453 
a system there would be created an incentive to the rural popu- 
lations to remain on the land, instead of migrating to the towns, 
or emigrating to our colonies or elsewhere. 
It happens that for many years past there has been an 
excellent school in our village, with the result that many of the 
sons of the labourers look with contempt at the occupation of 
their fathers. They easily obtain much better wages on the 
railways or in the towns than they can get on the land ; and, 
as a rule, they succeed exceedingly well if they are moderately 
intelligent, and also industrious and steady. It seems to be as- 
sumed, however, especially by those not acquainted with practical 
agriculture, that if a sufficient quantity of land can be obtained 
at a moderate price, and small farms established on it, the flow 
of the rural populations into the towns will be arrested ; and 
some, indeed, are so sanguine in the matter, that they think it is 
desirable that the land should be taken compulsorily, in order to 
secure so important a result. It is not without interest, there- 
fore, to consider what are the probabilities that the nation, or 
the ratepayers, would obtain an adequate return in the shape of 
interest, if land were acquired at its ordinary agricultui'al value 
and devoted to such a purpose. 
There is some fairly good agricultural land in this parish 
(Harpenden), which might, perhaps, be obtained at the rate 
of 30/. per acre. Opinions may difl'er as to how many acres 
would be required to support a man, his wife, and family ; but 
if we assume the land to be arable, and that oi’dinary faimi crops 
are to bo grown upon it, it is probable that, with the very low 
saleable value of grain, not less than forty or fifty acres would 
be required to enable the holder and his family to make a living 
in this way. The purchase money of, say, fifty acres, at 30l 
per acre, would be 1,500/. A house, stable for two horses, cow- 
house, some open shedding, a yard walled in, all the necessary 
roads and fencing, and, by way of equipment of the farm, a pair 
of horses, one or two cows, a few sheep and pigs, and the neces- 
sary implements, would together not cost less than 700/. or 
800/. So far, then, the outlay would probably be about 2,250/. 
When a man is set up in a shop he begins at once to earn a 
living, but not so the farmer. Supposing he enters upon his 
farm at Michaelmas, he must have the means of living, keeping 
his stock, and paying any other expenses, until nearly the next 
Michaelmas; and for this at least 1/. ISs. per week must be 
allowed, making altogether 91/. Further, for the same reason, 
that there would be little or no produce to sell during the first 
year, anything in the shape of interest or annual instalment, 
which can hardly be put down at less than 20s. per acre, as 
