A PEASANT'S FARM AT HELSINGOR 113 



in this country if they owed nearly ^900 charged on 

 a farm of nineteen acres and its stock ! 



This stock consisted of five red Danish milking 

 cows and a calf, two five-year-old horses which cost 

 350 kroner (^19, 8s.) each and were strong and use- 

 ful animals of their sort, two pigs, and some poultry. 

 In winter, however, Mr. Schmidt keeps about ten pigs, 

 which he buys young and sells fat to a co-operative 

 factory. His cows produce about 100 lbs. Danish of 

 milk a day, which also goes to a co-operative dairy. 

 His practice is to milk them only twice a day, not 

 three times, as so many do in Denmark. 



The land, which is of good quality, was excellently 

 farmed. Thus I noticed a piece of old clover lay being 

 "skimmed" in order to clean it before deep plough- 

 ing next spring for potatoes. Also a large patch had 

 just been planted with strawberries, for which there 

 is a market in Helsingor at 20 ore (2^d.) per lb. 

 The cows that were tethered on some clover-land 

 were useful animals, and when in the shed received 

 among other things a ration of brewer's grains. 



The house was really a charming dwelling of 

 its sort. It contained two sitting-rooms excellently 

 furnished. The kitchen was a model of what such 

 a place should be, spotlessly clean, with dishes and 

 other utensils arranged upon the walls in racks. In 

 one of the parlours stood a beautiful chiffonier which 

 Mr. Schmidt had inherited from his grandfather and, 

 as he told me with pride, had caused to be repaired 

 at a cost of 100 kroner, or about 5. Also there were 

 an antique tall clock and some good brass urns and 

 china. 



Mr. Schmidt informed me that his cash expenses 

 for the food of his household amounted to 20 kroner 



H 



