188 
A Joint-Stock Farm in the Netherlands. 
obtained. In the first place, I should state that by common 
consent the success of the farming is chiefly due to the ability, 
knowledge, and energy of the director, Mr. G. J. van den Bosch, 
to whom I am very much indebted for submitting to a prolonged 
cross-examination on the facts and figures which I have already 
given, and those which I am now about to state. 
The land is an alluvial clay with generally a sandy subsoil, 
and when it was first reclaimed the ditches necessary to carry 
off the water occupied 9 per cent, of the entire surface. The 
polder, however, is above the level of the sea at low water, and 
advantage has been taken of this to carry off the land drainage 
by means of a self-acting sluice at the sea wall. This sluice 
opens by the pressure of the inland water at low tide. Thus 
the expense of pumping has been avoided. This fortunate 
situation has enabled pipe-draining to be used ; and from 1852, 
when this kind of drainage was commenced, to 1878, nearly 
2400 acres were drained, and 200 acres of surface, formerly 
occupied by ditches, were brought into the cultivated area. 
The drains are about 4 feet deep, and the cost of the work has 
averaged nearly 12/. per hectare, or 4Z. IQs. per acre. On the 
average, the company spends annually about 2500/. in drainage 
and other improvement works, but the exceptional season of 
1879 did so much damage that it was found necessary to 
borrow about 8000/. to carry out works of reparation of pressing 
necessity. The repayment of this sum, with interest, will of 
course affect the balance of profit available for payment as divi- 
dend to the shareholders for the next few years. 
Of the 3600 acres belonging to the company, all but about 
250 acres are comprised in the VVilhelmina Polder, properly so 
called. The small remnant is a portion of the East Beveland 
Polder, which is one of those known as a polder calamiteuse." 
The maintenance of that polder is undertaken by the Govern- 
ment, and the proprietors can be compelled to pay any tax that 
may be levied by the State for such maintenance, up to a 
maximum of one-half of the rent value (with 20 per cent, added, 
minus the land tax). Thus, a piece of land in this polder worth 
100/. per annum would be charged, say, 6/. as land tax. One- 
half of the difference would be 47/., and 20 per cent, on the 
assumed net value would be nearly 19/. Thus the maximum 
amount of polder tax payable would be nearly 66/. per annum on 
land worth 100/. per annum to rent. If the cost of maintaining 
the land and the dykes in proper condition exceeds this sum, 
the surplus is paid by the State. 
With the exception of this isolated portion of 250 acres, the 
cost of maintaining the dykes and other drainage machinery of 
the VVilhelmina Polder varies from about 13*. to 17s. per acre 
