10 OCTOBER 1885, Page 14

[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."

Impey, in his letter which appeared in the Spectator of October 3rd, respecting small holdings, states that he has " systematically " inspected the parish of Epworth, in the isle of Axholine, and asserts that there are in it 300 occupiers of under half an acre; 324 who have from half an acre to 3 acres ; and 400 more who have from 3 to 20 acres,—making-a total of 1,024 occupiers of less than 20 acres each. I think Mr. Impey's inspection must have been of a very cursory nature, as the following particulars will show :— There are between 500 and 600 occupied houses in the parish, with a population which decreased from 2,295 in 1871 to 2,17$ in 1881. The rateable land in the parish,. as shown by the poor-rate, is about 5,737 acres, and the number of ratepayers 510 to 520. Of this number 59 are occupiers of more than 20- acres each, and hold altogether 4,510 acres- or thereabouts,. leaving 1,227 acres for 453 persons who occupy less than 20 acres each; but from the 453 there mast be deducted nearly 200 for persons who tiler occupy no land at all, or only a little

garden-ground attached to their dwellings, so that only about 112 cultivate under 3 acres, and about 140 from 3 to 20 acres. Knowing the parish well, I am in a position to affirm that Mr. Impey's conclusions, as to the position of the occupiers generally and relatively, are not more reliable than his figures, and I suspect he gives a too willing ear to information which he is wishful to obtain.

It may interest Mr. Impey and others of your readers to learn that there are about 440 proprietors in the parish of Epworth, of whom something short of 100 own houses only. The largest proprietor of land owns about 550 acres, and there are only ten or twelve who owa more than 100 acres, and only about fifteen who own between 50 and 100 acres.—I am, Sir, &c.,