7 Rosecroft Avenue, London NW3
This fertile land
Sir: Almost every allotment society now has a waiting list, and with wages (but not pensions) doubling in three years, and prices in four, the provision of more vegetable growing space for unemployed, pensioners and those on short time or fixed incomes, is a matter of national urgency.
Under the Allotments Act of 1922, Borough, Urban District and Parish Councils are under a statutory obligation to provide allotment gardens for all suitable persons, if an application is made by six registered parliamentary electors or ratepayers, residing in their districts. The recent Local Government re-organisation does not relieve them of this obligation, for the 1922 Act has not yet been repealed.
It is therefore the duty of those who think further ahead than councillors and MPs to use the Act while it is still law to force council action while we can still buy a cabbage and have change from a pound note. Almost all councils have wide areas of grass mown at the ratepayers' expense round their housing estates, acres of land wait for schools, hospitals. and civic centres and still more are waiting for by-passes, ringroads and car parks which will be unwanted when petrol soars over El a gallon.
We are the largest association of compost gardeners and we offer a simple but legal constitution for groups of six or more public spirited ratepayers ready to start what we call Fertility .Gardens and our leaflet 'Dig for Survival' of simple directions for timing sowings for maximum production without expensive fertilisers, free to any reader sending a stamped addressed envelope.
Lawrence D. Hills Henry Doubleday Research Association, 20 Convent Lane, Bocking, Braintree, Essex
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