76 THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF 



It is of great importance that a holder of 

 five aeres should be able to distribute his 

 labour as far as possible throughout the 

 year. Milking, feeding the stock, sowing, 

 hoeing, and harvesting occupy most of the 

 time between April and October, leaving 

 live months for other operations on the 

 land. How should these months be spent? 

 The cultivation of the arable land is alone 

 a formidable task, but apart from the 

 saving effected by digging instead of 

 ploughing, and it might be necessary to 

 plough twice or still more often for roots, 

 cabbage, and potatoes, we nmst not forget 

 the fact that where land is trenched or 

 double dug, there is a much smaller 

 need for manure, while the land is greatly 

 improved. 



Instead of stirring the subsoil with a 

 subsoiler, it is turned over in its place and 

 broken up with the spade or fork much more 

 effectively, while the surface soil, dug as 

 deep as possible, is simply turned over. A 

 small holder known to the writer cultivated 

 his garden on this plan in the first year of his 

 occupation, and, entirely without mar#are, 

 produced, and still continues to produce, large 

 crops in great variety. THe work is hard, 



