arbouring
birds, and at the same time safely exclude cattle, which in a short
time would play havoc with the vegetables. If possible, a road
should run right across the plot, with a gateway on either side, so
that a cart might pass straight through, pick up its load, and go on
and out without turning. Each plot should have a frontage upon this
road, or to branch roads running at right angles to it, so that each
tenant could remove his produce without trespassing upon the plot of
his neighbour. Such trespasses often lead to much ill-will. The
narrow paths dividing these strips should be sufficiently wide to
allow of wheeling a barrow down them, and should on no account be
permitted to be overgrown with grass. Grass-paths are much prettier,
but are simply reservoirs of couch, weeds, and slugs, and therefore
to be avoided. The whole field should be accurately mapped, and each
plot numbered on the map, and a strong plug driven into the plot
with a similar number upon it--a plan which renders identification
easy, and prevents disputes. A book should be kept, with the name of
every tenant entered into it, and indexed, like a ledger, with the
initial letter. Against the name of the tenant should be placed the
area of his holdings, and the numbers of his plots upon the map; and
in this book the date of his tenancy, and any change of holding,
should be registered. There should be a book of printed forms (not
to be torn out) of agreement, with blank spaces for name, date, and
number, which should be signed by the tenant. In a third book all
payments and receipts should be entered. This sounds commercial, and
looks like serious business; but as the rent would be payable
half-yearly only, there would be really very little trouble
required, and the saving of disputes very great. During the season
of cropping, the payment of a small gratuity to the village
policeman would insure the allotment being well watched, and if
pilferers were detected they should invariably be prosecuted. As
many of the tenants would come from long distances, and would not
frequent their plots every evening, there might possibly be a small
lock-up tool-house in which to deposit their tools, the key being
left in charge of some old man living in an adjacent cottage. The
rules of cultivation would depend in some measure upon the nature of
the soil, but such a village council would be composed of practical
men, who would have no difficulty whatever in drawing up