152 Rural Economy of the Netherlands. 



iinmens(i nurseries of fruit-trees, and of trees for ornamental 

 planting ; and lastly, magnificent grapes fit for a royal table. 

 The gardeners of Belgium and Paris, now so skilful, were the 

 pupils of the gardeners of Westland. 



It is very clear how this remarkable culture originated. The 

 merchants of Holland drew their wealth from traffic ; all their 

 energy was directed to navigation ; they possessed little land, 

 and preferred to invest their spare capital in the public funds, 

 national or foreign. This explains how it was that landed 

 property fell almost entirely into the hands of the country people. 

 Moreover, the grass district required only a pastoral routine of 

 the simplest kind, Avhich did not involve the employment of 

 much capital. The merchants then were satisfied with having 

 a country house or a villa and garden, built on some sandy ele- 

 vation above the high-level of the waters, and not far from the 

 city ; and there the men of business came for retirement. The 

 rich capitalists spared no expense in adorning their retreat ; they 

 prided themselves in collecting the rarest flowers and the most 

 exquisite fruits. This taste in time became general ; and the 

 number of small country houses, kept up with the greatest care, 

 has become immense. The Dutch literature is rich in poetr}-, 

 written in celebration of the pleasures of a country life : these 

 bucolics are called the Arcadias ; and although the greater 

 portion of them may be rather antiquated in style, some among 

 the number are really natural and genuine in expression. 



On the other side of the Zuyder Zee, that great gulf hollowed 

 out by the tempests of the twelfth centurj', extends the " green 

 region" of Friesland. In Holland, cheese is the staple produc- 

 tion ; in Friesland, butter : the cheese, made from the churned 

 milk, is considered only an accessory ; it is in butter-making 

 that the Friesland farmer displays that perfect cleanliness which 

 characterises him. The Friesland butter is so fine in quality 

 that in the London market, to which it is largely exported, it 

 sells at an excej)tional price. The quantity of butter taken to 

 the various provincial markets reached, in 1860, 140,000 cwts., 

 which, at the average price of 5Z., would realise 700,000/. The 

 domestic animals of Friesland are celebrated. The cows are as 

 good as those of Flolland ; and the introduction of Durham bulls 

 will produce a cross breed which is expected to yield more cream 

 from a smaller quantity of milk, and to fatten more readily. 

 The black Priesland horses, with small lively heads and swan-like 

 necks, are capital trotters. In fact, the agricultural productions 

 of Friesland are little inferior to those of Holland, but the 

 farmers are generally less wealthy. There are not so many 

 proprietors among them ; and the length of lease being only 

 seven years on an average, the rise of rents is continual. 



