588 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



miles and a half of Courtray, the greatest part of the manure is collected on the 

 farm. Rape-ca.ke_is used most profusely, and to this, as well as to the depth of 

 the soil, the beauty of the flax is ascribed.&quot; 



/ / II. &quot; Near Alost we met with one of the smallest farms, which will maintain 

 a family without other work: it was barely five acres. There was a small 

 orchard of about a quarter of an acre, in which there were some thriving 1 apple 

 and plum trees. The grass under these was good ; and the only cow which the 

 man had was led by the wife to graze there for a short time every day, appa 

 rently more for exercise than for food. The grass seemed to have been cut for 

 her in another part. The man regretted that he had not the means to purchase 

 a second cow, as he could maintain two very well. Half of the land was 

 in wheat, the other half in clover, flax, and potatoes ; so that the clover did not 

 recur sooner than in six years ; the flax and potatoes in nine. As soon as the 

 Avheat was cut, he began to hack the stubble about four inches deep, with the 

 heavy hoe, and as fast as he got a piece done, it was sown with turnips, after 

 having some of the contents of the urine-tank poured over it ; for, small as the 

 farm was, it had its reservoir for this precious manure. Thus a considerable 

 portion of the wheat stubble was soon covered with young turnips of a quick- 

 growing sort, which, if sown before the middle of August, were fit to be pulled 

 in November, and stored in the cellar for winter use. There was a small patch 

 of cameline, which was sown less for the seed than for the stem, of which he 

 made brooms in his leisure hours, when snow covered the ground. The whole 

 five acres had to be dug in the course of the year, and as much of it as possible 

 trenched ; the soil being a stiff loam of a good depth, which was much improved 

 by trenching and stirring. The milk and potatoes fed the family, with the 

 addition of a little salt pork ; for a pig was fed on the refuse of the food given 

 to the cow, and a very little corn, and consequently was not overburdened with 

 fat. Most of the wheat and all the flax were sold, and more than paid the rent, 

 which was not high about ten pounds a year. Incessant labor kept the man 

 in good health, and his wife was not idle. They had two or three young chil 

 dren ; but, except the wish for another cow, there seemed no great dissatisfac 

 tion with their lot, nor any great fears for the future. They had no parish-fund 

 to fall back upon, not even a union workhouse ; but, had they come to want by 

 unforeseen accidents, they would have found the hand of private G-harity stretched 

 out to help them.&quot; 



THE END. 



