58 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
a means of the felon’s making reparation, and of the 
pauper contributing to his own-support. 
So far from this being a chimerical idea, we are 
extremely pleased to observe that, the cultivation of the 
soil is rendered highly profitable as well as a part of the 
Industrial Training of Pauper Children in the Guilt- 
cross Union , Norfolk. Such is the title of a little 
pamphlet now before us; and we cannot better enforce 
our opinions than by quoting from this some of its 
statements, which are from the pen of the highly-intel- 
ligent master of that Union, Mr. Rackham :— 
“ At the formation of the Union the Guardians purchased 
3 acres of land, of which La. 2r. op. was used as the "Work- 
house site, and for the yards and offices connected with it, 
leaving, 1a. 1b. 35p. available for the purposes of cultivation. 
“ At Michaelmas, 1845, the Guardians, in order to extend 
the meads of employing the boys in the Workhouse School, 
and training them in habits of industry, procured 3 acres of 
additional land : this land, which was then in hills or holes, 
and useless for agricultural purposes, was levelled by the 
paupers, the top sward being carefully kept uppermost. In 
the autumn of 1840, one acre of the new land was planted 
with wheat, and 2r. 23p.* of the home-land—the 1a. 1r. 85p. 
mentioned above—was also planted with wheat, making in 
all 1a. 2r. 23p. under wheat for 1847. This land produced 
18 coombs 3 pecks beyond a sufficient quantity reserved for 
seed for the wheat crop of 1848. The remainder of the land 
was planted with Scotch kale, cabbages, potatoes, Ac., Ac., 
which began coming into use in March, 1847, at which time 
this account commences. We have now 4a. Ir. 35p. in 
cultivation. 
“ Two dozen spades were purchased at the outset to com¬ 
mence digging the land with, and G wheel-barrows were 
made by a pauper who was a wheelwright; pickaxes and 
other tools were also made by the paupers with the assist¬ 
ance of the porter who was a blacksmith. The cost for these 
does not appear, as there was no produce account to charge 
them to, but the stock being kept up they remain as dead 
farming stock. 
“ The. first year’s account was kept merely to satisfy the 
Guardians, but at Lady-day, 1848, the new order of accounts 
came into operation, and the land account now forms an 
item in the Union ledger and master’s day-book, which is 
duly audited by the auditor half-yearly. 
“The quantity of vegetables actually consumed by the 
paupers according to the dietary table only is charged in the 
provisions accounts. Persons acquainted with domestic 
management and the produce of land are aware, that where 
vegetables are purchased, a great deal is paid for that which 
is useless for cooking purposes. In the present case this re¬ 
fuse is carefully preserved and used for feeding pigs, which 
were first kept in April, 1848. This accounts for the large 
amount of pork fatted, as compared with the small quantity 
of corn and pollard used for the pigs. The leaves, Ac., not 
eaten by the pigs, become valuable manure. If the Guar¬ 
dians would consent to keep cows, different roots and vege¬ 
tables might be grown to feed them with ; and these would 
produce an increased quantity of manure, whilst an increased 
quantity of manure would afford the means of raising a 
larger amount of roots and green crops, and secure a more 
extended routine in cropping the land.* This would add to 
the profit of the land account, and give much additional com¬ 
fort to the aged people and the young children in the Work- 
house, as a better supply of milk and butter would be ob¬ 
tained than can at present be had ; but the immediate profit 
of cow-keeping would be but a trifling advantage compared 
* with the opportunity that would be given of training the 
• v fc?'ftAl , (r\)Uqi»'.tA;liildren for dairy-maids, who would thereby 
cceptable as farm servants, and the boys too 
kwojjdd.-gain' an\ acquaintance with the recent improved 
manageiueiit 'OU?ows, which could not fail to be of service to 
' tbe/n. 
fA'For the 
of Workhous' 
w -. I r . ■■ -i /.\7 
it of those Boards of Guardians or Masters 
/lio may from this statement feel desirous 
•-Mr. Rackham suggested to Miss Martineau her mode of cow-keep- 
Ing.-r-En. C. G .- ) 
r.TT-r 
[October 31. | 
of entering upon the system here pursued, I would state that 
in all cases I change the crops, sowing alternately, wheat, 
potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and cabbages. I have found by 
the experience of the last two years, that it is best to plant 
early potatoes, and to plant them very early, that is to say, 
in February or the beginning of March. Having plenty of 
labour during the winter months, the land is laid in ridges 
2£ feet wide, about three inches of the top soil is pared off 
which removes all weeds and seeds that may be in the land ; 
after the wheat crops a full spade's depth is taken up, to- j 
gether with all the crumbs, and 3 inches of top-soil is then 
forked into the sub-soil at the bottom of the trench, which 
gives fresh soil for the potatoes. At the time of planting a 
drill, about 3 inches is drawn, and the potatoes are put in a 
foot apart, the sides of the ridges being chopped down so 
that the potatoes are covered about G inches. As the po¬ 
tatoes advance in growth, I have the land levelled, and in 
May sow swede turnips or plant cabbage plants. The po¬ 
tatoes are fit to dig in August, when I transplant the swede 
turnips or plant more cabbage plants, first giving them a 
good soaking in liquid manure, for which purpose all soap¬ 
suds and night-soil are carefully preserved. Two crops are 
thus obtained in the year from the potato land. 
“ The land appropriated for the produce of cabbages, is | 
managed as follows:—in the middle of July I sow cabbage I 
seed of a good kind, namely, the Ham or Victoria; I sow 
again in the 2nd weeks of August and September—beginning 
to plant if possible the latter end of September—in rows 3 
feet apart, leaving 0 inches from plant to plant. These being 
well established in growth and earthed up, other cabbage 
plants are planted between those rows as before stated, in 
January or February, as the weather may suit. These are 
put in 15 inches from plant to plant. In early spring I draw 
every other plant of those first planted, which affords a 
supply when most wanted, and admits air to the remaining 
plants. After cutting the first cabbages, the ground is 
cleared, and the third crop of cabbages is planted, which 
furnish a supply till after harvest, when the cabbages between 
the potatoes come into use, and the cabbage land is cleared 
or made fit for a wheat crop. It will be seen that an abun¬ 
dant supply is thus produced for pigs, and if the Guardians 
permitted cows to be kept, there would be enough for them 
also ; but it must be borne in mind that all this planting is 
followed up by very liberal supplies of liquid manure. 
“ The following is a summary of profit for labour upon 
4a. In. 35p. of land, as shown in detail in the account j 
already referred to:— 
£ s. D. 
First year. GO 2 4£ 
Second year . 51 17 0 
To Christmas, 1840, £ year. 07 2 1£ 
179 1 Ilf 
“ I have thus endeavoured to give all the information I 
can upon the subject, disclaiming any intention of teach¬ 
ing the well-informed farmers, my only object in preparing 
this statement has been to point -out to those who have the 
charge of children in Union "Workhouses a means of train¬ 
ing them in habits of industry, and preparing them for 
future usefulness. 
“ The fact that there are GO boys and girls who have been 
trained at this Workhouse now earning their own living, is 
some evidence of the success of the system pursued there." 
From the above statement it appears—and all the 
details are minutely given in the pamphlet—there is 
from each acre a clear profit of £15 per annum. Now, 
if this can he effected by pauper children, can any pos¬ 
sible reasou be assigned why able-bodied felons cannot 
he made to do the same? The labour might be reu 
dered as severe as that of the tread-mill; for hours of 
continued digging and carting are not child’s play; and, 
unlike the tread-mill, such severe efforts would not be 
labour thrown away. 
