MARKETS. 101 



Under this aspect I would consider the home 

 market, such as a man's own table furnishes, as 

 first in importance. If a family, in ordinarily 

 good circumstances, kept a separate account of 

 the fruit and vegetables bought and used during 

 the year, they would doubtless be surprised at 

 the sum total. But if they could see the amount 

 they could and would consume if they didn't 

 have to buy, surprise would be a very mild way 

 of putting it. A very small piece of ground 

 judiciously cultivated will give a large family a 

 large supply, while acres neglected or poorly 

 managed will yield little save expense and dis- 

 appointment. Premising that the actual or 

 possible possessor of a little land and his family 

 have a fair average of brains, and are willing to 

 use them in learning how to take care of the gar- 

 den, just as they would learn to do anything 

 else ; then, if they can regularly give a certain 

 amount of time to its culture, the work can all, 



