A PEASANTS FARM AT HELSINGOR 



While driving in the neighbourhood of Helsingor 

 I stopped at hazard at a little farmhouse and asked 

 if I might see over the place. At the time I was 

 searching for a peasant's farm held in freehold that 

 was not a State small-holding, and as it chanced, 

 here at Soborghus, I found exactly what I wanted. 

 The owner, Mr. Jens Schmidt, an active, middle-aged 

 man, received me most courteously and answered every 

 question I put to him in the kindest manner. 



He said that he had bought his holding of four- 

 teen tondeland about fourteen years before. The total 

 capital invested seemed to be 16,000 kroner (^885), 

 or at any rate that was the amount borrowed, on which 

 he paid interest at 4 per cent. This sum was ad- 

 vanced on three mortgages, or on two mortgages and 

 as a floating personal debt. The first mortgage was 

 for 6500 kroner (^360), the second for 2000 kroner 

 (^110, 1 6s. 8d.), and the balance of 7500 kroner 

 (^"415) was lent to him by his mother. He worked 

 the farm with the aid of his wife, his daughter, a 

 pretty girl of eighteen, and a hired boy, to whom 

 he paid 100 kroner (^5, 10s. iod.) a year with food 

 and lodging. When I was there they were all of 

 them engaged in lifting potatoes. 



He told me that he worked very hard himself. 

 u I can't sit still," he said, adding that he was quite 

 happy and looked forward with every confidence to 

 the future, which is more than most people would do 



