SMALL HOLDINGS 23 



important points are not attended to, and, so 

 far, these points have not always received the 

 attention they require. 



In the first place, the nature of the land chosen 

 is of extreme importance. What could a settler 

 do on a cold, damp clay ? What could he do 

 on a soil so light that a single dry summer might 

 sweep away all the profits he had ever made ? 

 The only soil suited for small holdings is a good, 

 fertile soil, the choice of which is a matter for 

 men of knowledge. 



Secondly, the situation of a small holding is 

 of equal importance. It may seem incredible, 

 but is stated to be a fact, that existing, or lately 

 existing, small holdings have been abandoned 

 because they gave no possible market for pro- 

 duce. The holdings of the future must be within 

 easy reach of a certain and sufficient market, 

 and where fertilisers can be readily obtained. 



Third, the men themselves must be suitable 

 men. The class of men who now leave the 

 land and emigrate would do very well on small 

 holdings, if their locations were correct. No- 

 thing in Western Canada more surprises than the 

 way men work on land of their own, even men 

 who by no means do as much as they might 

 when working for some one else. It is because 

 they have a prospect before them, and hope is 

 in their hearts. The same would apply to suit- 

 able pensioners placed on well-chosen holdings 

 in Great Britain. Such men, always working 

 hard, always producing, would continually in- 

 crease the capital of the nation in that particular 



