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FIELD GARDENING FOR 
of plunder on the part of threshers, who would 
in future, it was asserted, have the power of 
mixing the corn of their master with the pro- 
duce of their own land, by which means they 
would easily defeat justice, &c. It appeared, 
therefore, absolutely necessary to be guarded 
most carefully against objections, and con- 
sequently I framed what otherwise might 
appear to be stringent rules, but they were 
such as seemed to me most likely to afford a 
security against the evils portended ; and after 
several years' experience, I believe I may 
attribute to them the success which has attended 
my own allotments ; whereas I fear that many 
others have either fallen to the ground or into 
disrepute for the want of them ; though, per- 
haps, the high rents demanded may have 
materially affected the fair working of the 
system with many that I have seen in different 
parts of England, whilst they have destroyed 
the advantages which would otherwise assuredly 
have arisen from the additional outlay of 
labour on the part of the poor and industrious. 
With the view of guarding myself against all 
these malpractices, I resolved to exercise every 
caution in my selection of tenants, and con- 
sequently I entrusted no one with an allot- 
ment who had been convicted of any dishonest 
act. At the time of hiring I have invariably 
explained that a notice will immediately be 
given to quit in the event of any conviction 
taking place when in possession ; and I have 
always avoided those who did not attend 
public worship on the Sabbath day, either as 
members of the Establishment or of the con- 
gregation of Dissenters to which they may be- 
long. I appointed the hour of twelve on 
Michaelmas Day for the payment of rents, with 
the understanding that any person in arrear 
more than three months after that day without 
specific leave, would consider it as equivalent 
to a notice to quit the land at Christmas, as 
the termination of those three months. 
" You ask me, what effects the allotment 
system has had on the poor-rates ? In reply 
I may observe, that when I first commenced 
with it we had several instances of high allow- 
ances being regularly made, under the Poor 
Law, to idle and profligate men. Not many 
weeks, however, elapsed before strong remon- 
strances were made against these men by the 
occupiers, all of whom, according to my agree- 
ment, had to pay to the rate themselves ; and 
although I allow we were indebted to the New 
Poor Law for the abolition of this mal-appro- 
priation of the public money, still those who 
had persuaded the overseer that they were unfit 
for work were soon found labouring occasion- 
ally on the allotments, whilst the complaints of 
the labourers themselves had the salutary effect 
of preventing fresh annuitants from being 
placed so readily on the sick and infirm list of 
paupers. So, in the course of two or three 
years, those who had been living in the most 
abject poverty were to be seen emerging from 
that situation to one of comparative ease and 
comfort. Many are the instances which I 
could point out of this nature. 
" I am not aware of a single instance of 
dishonest)/ (notwithstanding what was foretold 
would be the case) having occurred, that can 
be considered as arising out of the allot- 
ment system. I have removed one man who 
had twice been convicted under the Game 
Laws, and who had neglected his children ; 
and I am about to give notice to another just 
convicted at the last Quarter Sessions for 
wood-stealing. One I have removed for cross- 
cropping, and another for general neglect of 
his allotment. I have not one shilling of 
arrear ; and I think I may say that all the 
occupations are in a creditable state, whilst I 
have observed that those who have the neatest 
allotments are the very persons who are the 
most regular attendants at church on the 
Sabbath day. 
" I have satisfied myself that widows and 
team-men cannot manage properly more than 
a quarter, and none more than half an acre. 
In short, the true principle is to give them as 
much land as they are capable of cultivating 
properly without interfering with the time 
required of them by their respective masters, 
where they are regular labourers. 
" One great advantage arises out of the 
employment given by the owners of these 
allotments to young inexperienced men who, 
in the winter and spring times, are frequently 
out of employ. The work being put out at 
the fair worth, but no more, renders due 
exertion necessary to secure good wages, 
whilst the employment of them at those 
periods has saved many a young man from 
the Union House, and from that beer-house 
profligacy and ruin which arises out of idleness 
amongst the lower orders. Many a youth has 
also been taught the rudiments of husbandry 
under the immediate instruction of his parents 
on these allotments, which are invaluable in 
consequence of the decrease of piece-work 
throughout many parts of the country. 
" Various have been the opinions expressed 
both in and out of Parliament respecting the 
benefits to be derived by the poor man from 
these allotments, and naturally so, for there 
undoubtedly will be different degrees of success 
according to the systems adopted by the re- 
spective landlords, as well as according to the 
attention paid to them by both parties. 
" I do not apprehend that the benefits to be 
derived from them will fully appear in any case 
where spade husbandry is not strictly carried 
out, and the greatest cleanliness maintained. 
To ensure that system, I have adopted, 
