A HISTORY OF RUTLAND recreation. Thus both in North Luffenham and Barrowden 20 acres of the common fields, and 15 acres of the South Luffenham fields, were made into field gardens for cottagers, while in all three parishes several acres were made into recreation-ground, regard being had to convenience of situation. In spite of improvements brought about by inclosures Rutland is not as prosperous as its fertile soil would lead one to expect. One reason for this lack of prosperity is the low price of wool. In 1864 and 1865 wool had sold at 65J. and 62s. bd. a tod, but in 1895 it had fallen to 21J,"' Another reason given is the scarcity of labour. When Mr. Rider Haggard visited the county in 1 901, he was told that the lads were drawn away by trade and the building business,^'" and that before hiring a farm, thinking men took this question of the scarcity of labour into consideration. In 1 90 1 wages in Rutland were about 15J. per week, which is not below the average of the agricultural wages in England in general. The housing of the labourer at this time appears to have been satisfactory, the cottages throughout the countv being described as ' good and efficient, especially those on the estates of the large landowners, such as the Marquis of Exeter, Lord Ancaster, and Mr. Finch.-' Much encouragement has been given in Rutland to the system of small holdings, but these nevertheless have declined in number. In 1 901, in the parishes of Barley, Egleton, Hambleton, and Greetham, there were forty-three small occupiers of grass holdings, varying in size from 5 to 40 acres, but originally there were many more.'" Throughout the county in 1890 there were 222 small holdings of from i to 5 acres, but by 1906 the number had fallen to 117. Of holdings from 5 to 50 acres there were 537 in 1890, which by 1906 had fallen to 374."^ It is probable that one of the reasons for this decrease is that Rutland is not near any important health resort, or any large centre of population. If the difficulty of the high railway rates could be overcome, the small holdings might again increase throughout the county, and the peasant farmers become as flourishing as in the i8th century. '" H. Rider Haggard, Rural Engl, ii, 272. "" Ibid. 273. '" Ibid. 260. '» Ibid. "" Bd. of Agric. and Fisheries, Return of the number of Agricultural Holding! in Gt. Britain. 228
