The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-04-23 00:00:00

Mgriculturt.

LANDLORDS AND COTTAGER.

In out first number ire ventured to suggest, that in
attempting to rape the position of the agricultural
labourer, the danger was incurred of doing too much for
him; of treating him, in fact, more as if he were a
mere boy who had to be guided in everything,,than A/
man who should simply be advised bow to guide him-
self. While it is impossible to over-estimate the im
portanoe of imparting to the labourer the value of this
principle of self-guidanee, and while clearly imitating he
should help himself in every way in which self-help is
available, we no lees clearly insist upon the recognition
of those points which mit with the landlords and em-
ployers, and of the work which they, and they alone,
can do.
And of this work, fine in importance stands the
building of new, and "the improving old " This
work must, of necessity, be done by the landlOrd. As
well almost ask dm labourer to form a railway or cut a
canal at his own expense, as to build his own °otter.
So much has bean written and said on this subject of
cottage improvement, that few, we think, are now to
be met with who deny its Importance; few bet hold
that good cote accommodation is absolutely einential
where the soeW and moral improvement of the labourer
is wished for. Exaggerated notions, however, have
been put forth as to the importance of this subject, and
talk has been Indulged in as if all that was necessary to
be done for the labourer was to lodge him well; that
all the virtues would Sourish as soon as separate bed-
rooms for the sexes were given ; that prudence would
be promoted by a store closet,and the horrors of the
slattern vanish before the soap suds of a scullery.
Questionless, these exaggerated views (attain much
truth; for it certainly 11011.04 reasonable to suppose that
domestic vide, cannot well Sourish under circumstances
where everything exists calculated to crush nut sll its
vitality or or dwarf its fair and just proportions—and that
cleanliness cannotexist where it is imposeible—no matter
the degree clears given—that it can be well attended
to. We point to these things, not with • view to under-
rate the importance of the cottage question, but rather
to show the danger arising from giving any ocie point
undue prominence over another, and that something
else M required than merely good cottages. But strip-
ping the question of all its exaggerations does not get
rid of, but rather throws into greater relief, its full im-
portance. Exaggerated views do great injustice to it,
and retard more than they help its rapid realisation.
The troth, we tab it, will be more widely welded if it
I. simply claimed for improved cottages, that they help
the labourer to live more virtuously and prudeadv,
rather than that they make him do so. But it Wotan:4ly
possible, however, to overertimate the worth of this
help, and hence it is that the more it is in-
quired into, the more largely does it balk in the
public estimation. And there is no doubt of this, that
much as has been already done, an immense deal is yet
to be done in granting this help to our labourers. So
much public attention has been drawn to the sanitary
condition of the newel, that that of the rural population
has been greatly overlooked. The horrors of our St
Giles', and of the wretched 'population harboured within
their filthy dens, have taken such hold of the pulslie
mind ; and so ready are we to associate all diet is
charming and beautiful with rural :de that we can
scarcely bring ourselves to believe that the horrors of
the towns and the vices of their worst inhabitant* are
repemed in the seeetry. But se it is and in pia/A of
, being a diecult, It is unfortunately too easy a matter
1010 d in numerous districts throughout the country
loaelities where cottages, not only Golated but coupe-
gated in numbers, display nearly all the vileness
of the City den, this rendered all the more wretched
through contrast with the bright sky which overhangs
or the green Mikis which surround them. Dens with
their reeking illth seem not quite so much out of place
iu the city street or confined alley, hut wretched hovel*
utsr most miserably the beauty of rural scenes, and
bring out a painful
.eontrast which no picturesqueness
of tumbling wall or decaying roof trees can ever
compensate for. Cottages in-ventil.ted, ill-lighted,
and miserably constructed are met with in too many
instances, in the rooms of which the sexes are crowded
together in spume all too inadequate for the number
which they are forced to contain. These are lessening
in number every day we cheerfully admit, but much
is yet to be done Sr. the fair face of our country is freed
from these Mote which eo mar its beauty. And much,
moreover, has yet to be done in convincing many that
this state of matters exercises • close and immediate
influence upon the welfare of the labourer and of course
re-acts upon that of his employer. For it is but t•
repeat a truism which has been dinned often enough
into the ears of us all of late, to say that" as the houses,
so the men," that neither health of body nor strength
of mind can be cultivated and maintained under circum-
stances every detail of which is so well calculated to
depress the oae and stunt the other. And the lifting of
the labourer out of the unfortunate condition into which
a variety if eirenundances has conspired to plate him,
cannot be his own work but must be that of ikon
over lib. Fools of healing, solo speak, we may twl
e;
but now, as in the days of yore, the maimed and the
lame must be lifted into them to receive the benefit of
their life-giving waters. Waiting wearily now are
many for the b.Wp to come to them.
The best interests of agriculture demand that. the aer•
vents who are engaged in carrying out its various pro-
cesses shall be housed in conformity with thee' princi-
ples which shall best and surest develop that health of
hody and soundness of mind which slab san make them
thoroughly useful. What thee* principles are we Jo not
deem it here necessary to describe; ci the more readily
leaving the matter now, inasmuch as the subject will be
taken up in the course of "occasional Dotes" in the pages
et our psper.
Bet, before concluding, we would direst the attention
of our readers te the value of the system of Improving
sad re-imagism old whelps, as well es bedding new
eerie Indeed. the greatest amount of good will Ise the
most quickly performed, if this improving of old
.o.ottages
is more attended to than the of Dew. It is,
1 and we hen quote, in conclusion, from some sedgesp.ve
remarks is • late amber el the @WWI, Rents, ai
I deem a much peeler Idadeuit, tad far mote omealaklsl
to add te et :spear au oil home tau to 01 up • beas

new ore. The special convenience of tenants can thus
be much better met, and we should not find, as Si the
case sometimes in model cottages, some poor old body
moaning over the uselessness of a large cold room, or the
desolstion of unoccupied bed chambers. Every sort of
accommodation, from one room to six, is needed (Cr a
village population. No one could be expected to erect
new buildings to meet all these contingencies, but a
considerate attention would easily find means of satisfy-
ing all reasonable requirements by repairing and alter-
ing existing houses."—Scoifiak Fariacr.

Surrmee FANNERS' MANUAL AND SEED LIST roe
1861.—We have perused with much pleasure this very
complete epitome of all that relates to the reparing,
sowing, and general management of the numerous crops
which at the present day are raised by the agriculturist.
Messrs. Sutton are not only famed for tne excellent
quality of the seeds they supply, but also for the very
useful practical suggestions which they from time to
time afford their numerous customers, in the shape of
Manuals, Amateur's Guides, &c. The remarks on
Fallow Crops, under which head are classed—the Turnip,
Kohl Rabbi, the Cabbage, Rape or Cole, Carrots and
Parsnips, Mangold Wurzel, and Potatoe—will be found
well worthy of attentive perusal. In a former number
we gave their observations on the "Cultivation of the
Potato.;" we now give some extracts on the