28 



Tliis leaves a surplus of 26/. 5*. as the clear annual 

 value of the milk and crops, against which there is 

 an offset of labour only, the greater part of which (as 

 I have allowed 30.*. for ploughing if it be preferred to 

 spade work) can easily be performed liy the women 

 and children of the family who might otherwise be 

 idle ; while the man himself may be employed during 

 the greatest part of the year, either at a trade (sup- 

 pose weaving) or at common labour for hire on the 

 public roads, &c. iSrc. This is the oiilv plan by which 

 a small occupier can have comfort and independence, 

 aiul surely it is easy and practicable, and may be tried 

 either on the above scale or on a larger or smaller one. 

 Cobbett says, that a cow may be fed for a year on 

 cal)bages and Swedish turnips with a little straw, on 

 about one rood of ground: if this be near the truth, 

 there can be no difficulty in keeping one on an acre or 

 two. I have already shewn that a horse will consume 

 the produce of two acres, surely then if two acres 

 win support a family of human beings with the lux- 

 ury of milk and butter, and garden vegetables, besides 

 affording flax and wool towards clothing, they are 

 turned to the most advantageous account — besides, as 

 I have already observed in different words, other 

 sources of emolument to the occupier, arising fi-om 

 his labour, are not much interfered with, the farm 

 from its small size not requiring a large proportion of 

 his time. In the calculation above given, I have pro- 

 bahly over estimated the crop of potatoes, and per^ 

 haps of oats also, for the first year or two ; but after 

 that time if the system be pursued regularly and ex- 

 actly, a greater return (certainly of oats) may be 

 expected — the ground will improve every year in 

 richness and in tilth, conseqiiently the crops wiU in- 

 crease and the quantity required for seed decrease 

 every year — wheat and barley may sometimes be 

 substituted for oats, either for sale or for the use of 

 the family ; and either of these crops wiU be worth 

 much more than I have taken credit for — the only 



