rity which had power to
increase the area under spade cultivation. Throughout the country
there is an undoubted conviction that such extension is extremely
desirable, but who is to take the initiative? There is an increasing
demand for these gardens--a demand that will probably make itself
loudly felt as time goes on and the population grows larger. Even
those villages that possess allotment grounds would be in a better
position if there were some body who held rule over the gardens, and
administered them according to varying circumstances. Some of these
allotments are upon the domain of the landowner, and have been
broken up for the purpose under his directions; but it is not every
gentleman who has either the time or the inclination to superintend
the actual working of the gardens, and they are often left pretty
much to take care of themselves. Other allotment grounds are simply
matters of speculation with the owner, and are let out to the
highest bidder in order to make money, without any species of
control whatever. This is not desirable for many reasons, and such
owners deprecate the extension of the system, because if a larger
area were offered to the labourer, the letting value would diminish,
since there would be less competition for the lots. There can be
very little doubt that the allotment garden will form an integral
part of the social system of the future, and, as such, will require
proper regulation. If it is to be so, it is obviously desirable that
it should be in the hands of a body of local gentlemen with a
perfect knowledge of the position and resource of the numerous small
tenants, and a thorough comprehension of the practical details which
are essential to success in such cultivation. It may be predicted
that the first step which would ensue upon the formation of such a
body would be an extension of allotments. There would be no
difficulty in renting a field or fields for that purpose. The
village council, as we may for convenience term it, would select a
piece of ground possessing an easily-moved soil, avoiding stiff clay
on the one hand, and too light, sandy ground on the other. For this
piece they would give a somewhat higher rent than it would obtain
for agricultural purposes--say L3 per acre--which they would
guarantee to the owner after the manner of a syndicate. They would
cause the hedges to be pared down to the very smallest proportions,
but the mounds to be somewhat raised, so as to avoid h