more than 300 yards from the village of
Lyddington, by the side of a good turnpike-road, and is traversed by two
roads giving easy access to every allotment. Each plot of ground is
divided from the next by a narrow green path: no hedges or mounds are
permitted, and the field itself is enclosed without a hedge to harbour
birds. The soil is a rich dark loam, yielding good crops, with very
little manure, and the surface is level. There are sixty-three tenants
occupying plots varying in size, according to circumstances, from 48
"lug" downwards--25, 30, 16, &c. A "lug" is a provincialism for perch.
The rent is 5d. per "lug" or perch, and each occupier on becoming a
tenant receives a card on which the following rules are printed in large
type:--

"LYDDINGTON GARDEN ALLOTMENTS.

"RULES AND REGULATIONS.

"1. The land shall be cultivated by the spade only, and proper
attention shall be paid to its cultivation.

"2. No allotment, or any part thereof, shall be under-let or
exchanged.

"3. The rent shall be due on the 1st of September in each year, and
shall be paid before the crop is taken off the ground.

"4. All tenants shall maintain a character for morality and
sobriety, and shall not frequent a public-house on the Sabbath-day.

"5. If any tenant fail to pay his rent or to perform any of the
foregoing conditions he shall immediately forfeit his allotment,
with his crop upon the same, and the landlord or his agent shall
take possession and enforce payment of the rent due by sale of the
crop or otherwise, as in arrears of rent.

"All the tenants are earnestly requested to attend regularly at the
House of God during the times of Divine Service, with their
families, to the best of their abilities."

The object of Rule 2 is to enable the landlord to retain a certain
amount of influence over the tenant, to bring him in immediate contact
with the tenant, and to keep the land itself under his control. Many
occupiers endeavour to under-let their allotments, which, if permitted,
would entirely defeat the main object of the landlord, besides
complicating the already great labour of collecting the rents, &c.

Rule 3 prevents the produce of the allotment going to pay the
public-house score; while the date on which the rent falls due is so
adjusted as to enable the occupier to receive his money for harvest-work
before paying it.

Rul