land again into the use of the masses of the rural population. In
1819, as part of the administration of the poor law, Parliament passed
an act facilitating the leasing out by the authorities of common land
belonging to the parishes to the poor, in small "allotments," as they
were called, by the cultivation of which they might partially support
themselves. Allotments are small pieces of land, usually from an
eighth of an acre to an acre in size, rented out for cultivation to
poor or working-class families. In 1831 parish authorities were
empowered to buy or enclose land up to as much as five acres for this
purpose. Subsequently the formation of allotments began to be
advocated, not only as part of the system of supporting paupers, but
for its own sake, in order that rural laborers might have some land in
their own occupation to work on during their spare times, as their
forefathers had during earlier ages. To encourage this plan of giving
the mass of the people again an interest in the land the "Allotments
and Small Holdings Association" was formed in 1885. Laws which were
passed in 1882 and 1887 made it the duty of the authorities of
parishes, when there seemed to be a demand for allotments, to provide
all the land that was needed for the purpose, giving them, if needed,
and under certain restrictions, the right of compulsory purchase of
any particular piece of land which they should feel to be desirable.
This was to be divided up and rented out in allotments from one
quarter of an acre to an acre in size. By laws passed in 1890 and 1894
this plan of making it the bounden duty of the local government to
provide sufficient allotments for the demand, and giving them power to
purchase land even without the consent of its owners, was carried
still further and put in the hands of the parish council. The growth
in numbers of such allotments was very rapid and has not yet ceased.
The approximate numbers at several periods are as follows:--

1873 246,398
1888 357,795
1890 455,005
1895 579,133

In addition to those formed and granted out by the public local
authorities, many large landowners, railroad companies, and others
have made allotments to their tenants or employees. Large tracts of
land subdivided into such small patches are now a common sight in
England, simulating in appearance the old open fields of the Middle
Ages and early modern times.

*74. Small Holding