SMALL HOLDINGS 237 



she has arrived at maturity before she is 

 ready for breeding, and then he must wait 

 still longer for the production of her litter, 

 which will not be of the best. Where possible 

 it is far wiser to purchase a mature sow about 

 to farrow with her second or third litter, 

 and then to feed the youngsters either for 

 local sale or for the auction mart or the butcher, 

 and thus to obtain a return. Where the small 

 holder is compelled to depend upon his crops, 

 whether of the garden or the farm, he has to 

 wait a much longer period for his return, 

 this depending upon the time at which he 

 enters the holding. In any case his capital 

 must be sufficient to enable him to live and 

 pay his way until his crops are sold. This 

 remark applies to the system of rotation 

 cropping — corn, roots, clover, and grass; to 

 market gardening whether upon the English 

 or the French system, and to flower and fruit 

 culture. All demand capital at the hands 

 of the grower. French gardening, however, 

 which requires a much larger expenditure of 

 capital, produces a much quicker return. 

 These facts are sufficient to show the impor- 

 tance of mixed farming as opposed to crop 

 growing alone. 

 A small holder may take over land under 



