Report on the Agriculture of Belgium. 
31 
Fig. G. — On the millc-icalk of La Petite Culture. 
Horses. — Very little need be said about horses in treating of 
la petite culture. No small farmer will keep one if he can pos- 
sibly get on without, as he prefers keeping an ox or using his cows. 
The reason generally given is that the horse eats ; but though that 
may be the usual mode of expressing the fact, the cause no doubt 
is that the horse gives no milk, and cannot be sold as beef. On 
the more extensive small farms, however, where horses are kept, 
they are fed on clover during the summer with an allowance of 
oats, or from 4 to 5 lbs. each of rye-bread per day. During 
winter their food consists entirely of hay, and a peck of oats each 
per day. All the horses have more or less Flemish blood in 
them, and are generally better than one could expect. 
Pigs. — Small farmers generally buy pigs as young as possible, 
and fatten them for their own use, as they get no other meat 
than pork and bacon. The food consists almost entirely of 
potatoes and skim-milk or butter-milk ; but occasionally a little 
meal is added. The pigs are large, coarse, flat-sided, long-eared 
animals, but of late years considerably " ameliorated " by crossing 
with English breeds. 
III. — A Farm of Ten Acres. 
The question has frequently been asked whether a farm of ten 
acres is sufficient to enable a man to keep his wife and family in 
comfort, and to occupy profitably and completely his own time, 
without having recourse to other means of earning money, or of 
filling up leisure hours. We propose, therefore, both with a view 
of giving an example of la petite culture on rather strong land, 
and for the purpose of showing what can be done with ten acres, 
