THE PROBLEM STATED. 15 



variety. But he was quick to test new varieties 

 and crosses, and careful to watch his markets. 

 Above the first slope was a little tableland of 

 poorer soil, devoted to fruit trees of less im- 

 portance, to root crops, perhaps also to a crop 

 of oats. Then came rough hill country, and it 

 afforded, as to its best part, a paddock for 

 farm horses and cows ; as to its roughest part, 

 grazing for a few sheep. Near, but not too near 

 to the farmhouse, were the pig-styes and the 

 poultry houses. The land provided, as almost 

 its sole crop for the market, apples, the best ones 

 for Covent Garden, those not quite so good for 

 Australian markets. The cash yield from apples 

 in a fair year would be about £300. The bulk 

 of the other produce of the farm was consumed 

 thereon — the fodder by the horses and cows ; 

 the milk, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, bacon, by 

 the farmer and his family. When a pig was 

 killed, his friends had fresh pork ; and the gift 

 was returned on another occasion. The killing 

 of a sheep was, too, a neighbourly affair. The 

 refuse of the fruit farms and of the dairy, with 

 roots grown on the farm, kept the pigs. Aston- 

 ishingly little did this farmer, and others like 



