June  1',  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
509 
land  does  ultimately  command  a  liighei*  price.  It  is  nobody’s 
fault,  nor  is  anybody  to  blame,  and  it  seems  to  me  quite  natural. 
Of  course,  a  proportion  of  land  will  always  be  owned  other  than 
by  the  cultivator,  but  may  we  never  hope  for  improved  land 
laws,  laws  that  would  admit  of  real  free  sale  in  land,  under 
which  land  could  be  sold  (with  properly  devised  registration)  as 
freely  as  anything  else?  Does  not  anybody  in  the  country  realise 
the  impossibilities  of  buying  small  plots  of  land,  i.e.,  from  ai 
■fiuarter  to  fiv'e  acres? 
If  I  have  200yds  of  land  to  .sell,  or  200yds  of  linen,  why  need 
I  pay  one  or  two  lawyers  1,  2,  or  3  per  cent,  on  the  price  of 
the  land,  delay  many  weeks,  and  sign  several  papers,  while  the 
sale  of  the  linen  is  completed  when  the  money  is  paid?  Lawyers 
will  tell  you  many  reasons,  but  I  believe  in  other  lands  they 
manage  without  so  many  restrictions.  A  House  of  Commons 
full  of  lawyers  is  unlikely  to  simplify  or  diminish  legal  business ; 
but  freedom  of  sale  for  land,  especially  in  small  lots,  would  do 
■jucre  to  build  up  and  settle  on  the  land  a  contented  peasantry, 
of  which  we  hear  so  much,  than  increased  wages,  or  even  music 
halls  in  the  villages!  I  think  “R.  P.  R.’s  ”  letter  shows  this 
strongly,  and  much  else  of  interest.  Ruskin  says,  “Those  who 
possess  the  land  must  live  on  it,  not  by  taxing  it.” — Oavner 
AND  Tenant. 
In  considering  this  question,  it  is  necessary  to  inquire  into 
the  causes  AA'hich  are  and  were  in  operation  in  bringing  about  the 
state  of  matters  complained  of.  All  Avho  have  written  on  this 
question  have  admitted  that  the  principal  cause  leading  to  the 
abandonment  of  rural  industries,  such  as  the  tilling  of  the  soil, 
was  one  of  expedience.  Labour  is  man’s  capital,  and  as  capital 
is  poAver,  he  is  exercising  his  prerogative  in  the  highest  and 
noblest  manner,  Avhen  he  puts  it  up  for  sale  to  the  highest  bidder. 
That  the  product  of  a  man’s  labour  belongs  exclusively  to  him¬ 
self  is  a  matter  of  enormous  importance.  The  fact  stimulates 
him  to  actiAuty,  and  the  nation,  of  Avhich  he  is  only  an  atom, 
becomes,  in  consequence,  poAverful. 
The  state  of  land  A’alue  has  been  for  many  years  steadily 
depreciating,  due  to  tAvo  very  important  things  :  the  high  price 
for  labour  and  a  superior  quality  of  imported  foodstuffs,  cheaper 
than  it  is  possible  for  us  to  supply.  Hoav,  then,  let  us  ask,  are 
those  Avho  never  left  the  land,  at  present  getting  along?  Many 
are,  indeed,  putting  in  a  miserable  existence,  some  are  making 
both  ends  meet,  and  very  feAv  indeed  are  making  money.  Farm 
in’oprietors  fare  not  a  Avhit  better.  To  many  of  them  the  land 
Avhich  they  came  to  inherit  is  a  burden  they  probably  would 
feel  better  Avithout,  and  I  knoAV  there  are  far  too  many  in  the 
ineiiAuable  position  of  “  T.  B.  W.,”  deriving  little  from  their 
estates,  but  having,  on  the  contrary,  a  heavy  outlay.  I  do  not 
•speak  of  this  matter  as  one  unacquainted  Avith  the  trials  and 
hardships  of  the  farmer’s  lot.  Nay,  I  have  been  reared  in  the  toils 
of  the  farm,  and  though  noAv  not  actually  engaged  in  the  industry, 
I  am  indirectly  a  sharer  of  the  misfortunes  attending  those  Avho 
have  an  interest  in  farming. 
Special  conditions  may  favour  the  tiller  of  the  soil,  such  as 
close  proximity  to  a  great  centre,  Avhere  the  groAver’s  productions 
can  command  a  ready  and  profitable  sale ;  but  Avhat  of  him  avIio 
is  miles  aAA'ay  from  any  source  of  outlet?  The  best  of  his  pro¬ 
ducts  then  become  practically  unsaleable — if  saleable,  of  such  a 
Amlue  as  to  make  their  cultivation  unprofitable.  It  is  not  every¬ 
thing  to  derive  a  bare  existence.  Money  is  uoav  a  necessity  in 
AvhateA’er  corner  of  the  Avorld  Ave  may  be  placed.  I  am  acquainted 
Avith  several  places  Avhere  milk  is  of  no  value  unless  for  feeding 
pigs.  If  this  is  produced  on  a  large  scale,  the  milk  is  converted 
into  butter  or  cheese,  but  even  then  it  is  not  A’ery  clear,  if  it 
paA:s,  either.  Noav,  the  small  holding  system  docs  not  pa]/;  in 
fact,  if  not  Avithin  reasonable  distance  of  a  toAvn,  such  is  empha¬ 
tically  a  burden  to  the  occupier  and  proprietor.  I  have  no  great 
blame  to  find  Avith  the  land  laAvs.  Perhaps  here  and  there  things 
might  admit  of  improA'ement,  but,  on  the  Avhole,  they  compare 
favoui’ably  Avith  all  other  negotiable  propertj'.  It  is  quite 
erroneous  to  suppose  that  it  is  on  account  of  any  deficiencies  in 
connection  Avith  the  land  laAvs  that  people  migrated  to  the  great 
centres  of  labour;  the  reason  is  more  superficial,  and  must  Le 
obvious  to  everyone — it  is  simply  to  avert  starvation. 
Here,  then,  is  an  important  fact  in  the  consideration  of  the 
uniA'ersal  distribution  of  the  land  among  the  people.  Those  aaIao 
knoAV  something  about  land  Avould  not  accept  a  free  offer,  and 
those  who  are  unacquainted  Avith  its  difficulties  possibly  might 
not  make  very  profitable  or  industrious  holders  to  boot.  Though 
Ave  may  term  the  land  a  national  asset,  the  mere  agricultural 
element  may,  like  any  other  productive  part  of  it,  sink  in  value 
to  a  very  low  ebb.  At  present  the  development  of  commerce  and 
other  induetries  has  groAvn  to  such  magnitude  that  it  Avould  he 
nothing  short  of  national  suicide  to  attempt  the  promotion  of  a 
scheme  savouring  of  the  iihilosophy  of  Henry  George. — D.  C. 
[W  e  trust  that  our  correspondents  and  readers  Avho  have  faith 
in  small  holdings  Avill  not  be  backAvard  in  expressing  their  belief. 
—Ed.] 
The  Bothy. 
It  affords  not  a  little  pleasure  to  those  Avho  for  some  length 
of  time  have  been  the  target  of  abuse  for  their  many  short¬ 
comings  in  making  the  bothy  Avhat  it  should  be,  to  find  that  at 
length  there  are  some  among  the  bothy  reatlers  Avilling  now  to 
acknoAvledge  a  fairness,  and  desii'e  to  do  their  honest  duty 
toAvards  their  young  men.  That  the  bothy  in  many  gardens  has 
long  since  been  anything  but  a  desirable  institution  and  resi¬ 
dence  has  been  already  admitted ;  but  uoav  that  the  young  men 
can  more  clearly  see  and  more  readily  understand  the  many 
obstacles  that  hindered,  let  us  hope  that  progress  Avill  be  made 
and  compliments  of  a  better  class  alloAved.  To  abuse  is  not  quite 
the  right  sort  of  spirit  or  a  desirable  Aveapon  to  take  in  hand 
to  fight  against  such  a  fortress,  and  the  sooner  the  young  men 
realise  this  the  better.  A  course  of  abuse  is  likely  to  breed 
contemi>t  rather  than  sympathy,  and  I  commend  the  writers  of 
the  letters  on  Bothydom,  Avhich  have  been  recently  published,  for 
the  admirable  tone  which  perAmdes  their  contributions.  The 
bothy  is  beino:  looked  upon  more  and  more  as  a  necessary  and 
a  desirable  residence  for  young  gardeners,  because  the  conveni¬ 
ence  and  liberty  of  action  is  so  much  more  enjoyable  and  con¬ 
venient  than  the  very  best  of  lodgings.  There  appear  to  have 
been  some  Avho  condemn  bothy  life  Avithout  any  knoAvledge  of  its 
many  and  A'aried  advantages.  Let  them  listen  to  those  of  their 
felloAV  men  Avho,  having  the  experience,  can  give  an  honest 
opinion  and  verdict.  As  one  Avho,  in  tiie  course  of  varied  and 
lengthened  experience  of  both  conditions,  I  Avould  say.  Com¬ 
mend  me  to  bothy  life  in  preference  to  the  best  of  lodgings  out¬ 
side  the  garden. — W. 
Saturday  Half-lioliday  for  Gardeners. 
I  am  pleased  to  give  my  testimony  in  favour  of  the  Saturday 
half-holiday,  having  uoav  adopted  it  for  s^vei'al  years.  It  affoixls 
recreation  not  only  for  the  under  gardener  and  labourer,  but  the 
chief  as  Avell.  An  old  adage  says,  “What  is  good  for  the  goose 
is  good  also  for  the  gander”;  and  this  is  quite  true  of  the 
Saturday  recreation  in  the  garden,  as  affecting  all  and  every¬ 
one  alike.  I  must  admit,  as  do  so  many  others,  that  Avhen  the 
half-holiday  question  Avas  first  projected,  I  could  scarcely 
estimate  Iioav  the  pressure  of  Saturday  Avork  could  be  brought 
Avithin  the  limit  of  the  short  term ;  but  actual  experience  soon 
dispelled  the  doubtful  thought.  Though  many  have  adopted  this 
course,  there  Avould  seem  to  be  many  others  Avho  do  not  see  the 
Avisdom  of  the  half-holiday  movement.  It  needs  only  the  space 
of  time  to  make  the  custom  universal,  and  the  help  of  the  gar¬ 
dening  journals  to  press  home  in  the  minds  of  doubtful  heads 
the  necessity  of  the  change.  The  duty  man  for  the  coming  Aveek 
takes  over  the  Avoi'k  at  1  p.m.  on  Saturday,  instead  of  the 
evening,  and  here  extra  help  is  proAuded  on  Sunday  afternoon 
Avhen  the  Avork  of  spring  and  summer  is  heacw.  The  younger 
probationers  do  this  in  turn.  The  old  order  of  Avork  here,  Avhich 
had  an  existence  almost  beyond  memory,  Avas  G  a.m.  to  G  p.m. 
on  five  days  of  the  Aveek,  Avith  one  hour  less  on  Saturday.  On 
Sunday  tlie  man  on  duty,  beside  having  all  the  AVork  of  the  day 
to  scramble  through  single-handed,  had  to  go  to  the  kitchen  for 
orders,  and  provide  Avhat  A-egetables  the  chef  required  for  th^' 
day,  Avhicli  Avould  metan  a  journey  of  probably  tAvo  miles  by  the 
time  the  orders  Avere  completed.  ChrLstmas  Day  Avas  the  only 
holiday  for  the  j'ear,  beyond  Church  time  alloAved  on  Good 
Friday. 
Mr.  George  Hockney,  Avho  pleads  for  the  cause  of  young 
men,  Avill  be  interestecl  to  kiiOAv  that  there  are  at  least 
some  Avho  enjoy  the  priA’ilege  of  this  modcwii  demand  of  the 
garden,  and  it  might  be  said  in  further  encouragement  that 
since  the  step  has  proved  so  successful  here,  other  gardeners  and 
employers  in  the  locality  have  clone  likeAvise.  While,  too,  the 
men  are  distinctly  gainers,  emploj’ers  are  not  one  Avhit  the 
losers  by  the  change  of  custom.  Mr.  Hockney  intimate.s, 
page  454,  that  the  time  is  ripe  for  an  all-round  advance  of  Avages. 
I  think,  if  the  adA'ertisement  columns  of  the  gardening  periodical  s 
are  closely  studied,  it  Avill  be  found  that  this  advance  has  already 
become  an  established  institution.  The  blame  Avhich  is  attri¬ 
buted  to  head  gardeners  in  “  re.sting  easy  ”  on  the  Ioav  scale  of 
Avages  is  not,  at  any  rate,  generally  due.  Employers  do  not,  as 
a  rule,  A'oluntarily  make  aclAmnces,  but  rather,  in  garden  prac¬ 
tice  keep  expenses  doAvn  as  much  as  possible ;  and  if  an 
employer  is  uiiAvilling  to  make  these  advances,  gardeners  cannot 
compel  them  to  do  so,  nor  afford  to  make  them  on  their  oavu 
account.  The  times  demand  more  Avagos  and  less  Avork,  and  not 
only  is  this  true  in  gardening,  but  in  other  trades  ancl  calling.s 
as  Avell  ;  yet  thei’o  are  many  young  men  sIoav  to  acknoAvledge 
the  advantages  secured  to  them,  Avhile  at  the  .same  time  quick 
to  find  fault  Avith  their  chief  should  the  slighte.st  occasion  find 
the  theme.  To  the  aclA'antage  of  employer  and  employed  it  may 
be  said  that  honest  duty,  justice  to  master  and  man,  and  a 
determined  perseverance.  Avill,  when  carried  out  in  a  proper 
spirit,  aclju.st  many  troubles,  Avh'ether  that  be  found  in  shorter 
hours,  more  Avages,  or  the  Saturday  half-holiday.  -W.  S. 
