280
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
FIELD MEETING IN THE SOUTHMINSTER DISTRICT
TO VISIT MR. FELS' SMALL HOLDINGS AT MAYLAND,
AND PROFESSOR McCONNELL'S FARM, NORTH
WYCKE, SOUTHMINSTER.
Saturday, July 25TH, 1908.
Conductors: Mr. Joseph Fels, Professor Primrose McConnell, B.Sc, F.G.S.,
&c., Mr. T. S. Dymond, F.I.C, F.C.S., Mr. Miller Christy, F.L.S., and the
Hon. Secretaries.
This meeting proved to be very attractive to those who were interested (and
who is not ?) in the modern methods of horticulture and agriculture, and in the
progress of the nationally important subjects of small holdings and "petite
culture." The practical applications of natural science to everyday lite come
quite as suitably within the scope of the club as field botany or field geology.
The party met at Southminster railway station, and were conveyed in brakes
five miles to Nipsell's Farm, Mayland, of about 630 acres, upon which has been
established Mr. Fels' "Agricultural Village of Small Holdings and the
Windmill Nurseries." A cordial welcome was extended to all by Mr. Thomas
Smith, the manager, who, pending the arrival of Mr. Fels, kindly undertook to
give a practical demonstration of the methods of the intensive cultivation pursued
at the colony under the tuition of the French experts, M. and Madame Lecoq
and their two sons.
The French garden was first visited, Mr. Smith giving an exposition of the
processes connected with "intensive cultivation" of market garden-produce.
Some of the results of this method of cultivation were certainly startling. The
sum and substance of the whole system may be summed up in two words—
manure and irrigation, and for the latter purpose there is a plentiful supply of
water obtained on the estate. The French garden covers an area of two acres,
and at present 2,000 tons of manure—good stable-yard manure—are used in the
year, costing about 6s. a ton, most of it being brought down by barges to a
wharf bordering the estate. It takes three years to get the French gardening
system into working order, and by that time it is suggested there will be
sufficient made soil from the decayed manure to carry on all operations, and be
independent of the natural soil. The first bed visited had already produced
crops at the rate of £700 per acre, so Mr. Smith informed the company. On the
whole of the two acres of the French garden six men were kept at work ; then
there was one woman engaged for packing the produce, and occasionally a
second woman. The labourers are paid £1 a-week, and two experts get £5
between them. The packing shed was inspected ; melops were being neatly
packed ready for consignment to London, and at the invitation of Mr. Smith
one of these was sampled by some of the company. These melons, on art-
average, fetch 2S. 6d. each. After inspecting other parts of the garden, the
party were taken over the small holdings. There are at present 21 of these on
the estate. To each holding there is a well-built and nicely-planned house,
excellent out-buildings, and five acres of ground, and the total cost, including
the land, laying on water, fencing, etc., works out at about £700 a holdings
About two acres of the land are planted with fruit trees by Mr. Fels.
Nominally, the rent of the holding is £26 a-year. When a tenant is selected, he
is allowed to live there rent free the first year, the second year he pays half the