Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/51

40 in the  centre  of  the  spaces  left; and,  by  the  time the root  crops  have  been  thinned,  and  are  past  the danger of  the  fly,  the  cabbages  are  fit  to  be  cut. The alternate  ones  are  taken  first,  and  light  and air are  thus  let  in  freely. The cabbages  begin  to  be very  substantial  about  mowing  time,  and  fill  up  all intervals till  November; that  is,  while  the  grass  is growing  after  hay-making,  and  between  the  first, second, and  third  gathering  of  the  mangold  leaves. It is  the  fashion  now  to  discourage  the  thinning of the  mangold: but  we  find  the  roots  rather  the better than  the  worse  for  the  process. If they were not,  we  could  still  hardly  spare  the  resource of those  three  leaf  crops;  but  the  fact  is,  no such  mangold  as  ours  is  grown  anywhere  near; and strangers  come  to  look  at  it,  both  in  the ground and  in  the  root-house. We now  devote the arable  part  of  our  rented  half-acre  to  this  root, except when  it  is  necessary  to  grow  grain  for  a change,  which  happens  every  third  or  fourth  year; and this  last  year  we  obtained  about  six  tons  from a quarter of  an  acre. It keeps  admirably; and our cows  were  still  enjoying  it  a month  before Midsummer. There is  an  occupation-road  through the half-acre  which  produces  only  grass; and  the same is  true  of  a strip  running  its  whole  length, under a row  of  noble  ash  trees,  which  of  course prevent all  tillage  under  their  shade  and  within the circuit  of  their  roots. The arable  portion amounts, in  fact,  to  hardly  one-third  of  an  acre.

We early  obtained  a small  addition  to  our territory in  a rather  odd  way. After we  had suffered from  two  or  three  invasions  of  sheep through the  great  ugly  hedge,  I received  an  occasional hint  that  the  neighbouring  tenant  wished  I would  take  that  hedge  into  my  own  hands. Seeing no reason  why  I should  trouble  myself  with  such a vexatious and  unprofitable  piece  of  property,  I paid  no  attention  to  the  hints: but  my  farm-man at length  intimated  that  he  could  make  a good thing of  it,  if  I would  let  him  demolish  the  hedge, which he  would  undertake,  except  felling  the pollard-ashes, with  his  own  hands. He was  sure the contents  of  the  hedge,  and  the  ground  we should  get  by  it,  would  pay  for  a good  new  fence. It did  indeed  pay. We had  firewood  enough  for more than  one  winter,  and  a good  deal  of  soil; and we gained  a strip  of  ground  about  three  feet  wide, the whole  length  of  the  field. Moreover, my neighbour  obtained  the  same  quantity,  to  the  great augmentation of  his  friendship  for  us. The new fence cost  £9. It is  a crosspole  fence— the  only kind which  is  found  effectual  here  against  the incursions of  sheep. They leap  upon  a wall; they burst through  a hedge; they  thrust  themselves through a post -and- rail  fence; but  they  can  get no footing  on  a crosspole  fence; and  only  the youngest lambs  can  creep  through  the  interstices. The material  used  is  split  larch-poles; and  those who object  that  such  a fence  is  not  durable  must have omitted  the  precaution  of  tarring  the  ends which enter  the  ground. With that  precaution  it may  last  a lifetime; and  it  is  easily  mended  if  a pole  here  and  there  should  go  before  the  rest. It occupies the  smallest  portion  of  ground — is  no hindrance  to  air  and  sunshine,  and  is  remarkably pretty. When covered  with  roses,  as  mine  is  for the greater  part,  it  is  a luxury  to  look  upon, reminding travellers  of  the  rose-covered  trellises  of hot  countries, — as  in  Louisiana,  Damascus,  and Egypt. We were  so  delighted  with  it  that  I carried it along  the  bottom  of  the  field,  where  also  I was not chargeable  with  the  care  of  the  fence. I see strangers come  in  and  examine  it,  and  try  to shake  it,  as  if  they  thought  it  a flimsy  affair  for a farm, even  on  a miniature  scale; but  I believe it will  out-last  the  present  generation  of  inhabitants, human  and  quadruped.

It will  be  necessary  to  give  some  account  of  our live stock  and  its  produce  before  we  can  form  an estimate  of  profit  or  loss  on  the  whole  scheme  of  my little  farm. Meantime, we  may  say  thus  much:

Twelve years  ago  we  saw  about  our  dwelling  an acre  and  a quarter  of  grass,  in  unsightly  condition, grazed by  a sickly  cow; a few  beds  of  flowers  and a few more  of  vegetables — the  former  not  well  kept, and the  latter  far  from  productive — and,  for  the rest, a drive  and  little  plantations,  and  slopes  rarely neat, and  always  craving  more  care  than  we  could give. For the  grass  I obtained,  as  I said,  £4  10s. a-year; and,  to  an  occasional  gardener,  I paid from £6  to  £10  a-year. In connection  with  these particulars, we  must  remember  the  housekeeping troubles — bad butter,  blue  milk,  and  thin  cream; costly vegetables  which  had  travelled  in  the  sun; hams costing  £1  at  least;  eggs  at  1d.  each,  and fowls scarce  and  skinny; and  all  this  in  a place where the  supply  of  meat  is  precarious  at  the  most important time  of  year.

The state  of  things  now  is  wonderfully  different. The whole  place  is  in  the  neatest  order  conceivable; the slopes  are  mown,  and  the  shrubs  trimmed, and the  paths  clean; and  the  parterres  gay,  almost all the  year  round. With only  three-quarters  of an  acre  of  grass,  we  have  about  £12  worth  of  hay; and part  grazing  for  two  cows  for  six  months  of the  year. We have  roots  to  the  value  of  about £8 a year,  exclusive  of  the  benefit  of  their  green part, which  affords  several  cwts. of food. Then, there are  the  cabbages  for  the  cows,  which  in favourable  seasons  have  afforded  the  staple  of  their food for  three  or  four  months. In southern  and eastern counties  they  would  be  a more  ample  and certain dependence  than  in  the  north. Then for the house,  we  have  always  had  an  over-supply  of vegetables  (except  the  winter  store  of  potatoes), the surplus  going,  rather  wastefully,  to  the  pig. Beginning with  cress,  and  radishes,  lettuce,  and early potatoes,  and  going  through  the  whole  series of peas  and  beans,  turnips  and  carrots,  spinach, onions and  herbs,  vegetable  marrow  and  cucum- bers, cabbages, cauliflowers,  and  broccoli,  up  to winter  greens,  we  have  abounded  in  that  luxury of fresh-cut  vegetables  which  townspeople  can appreciate. All the  common  fruits  follow  of  course. The comfort  of  having  an  active  man  on  the  premises, ready  for  every  turn,  is  no  small  consideration in  a household  of  women.

All these  things  have  been  created,  we  must observe — called out  of  the  ground  where  they  lay hid, as  it  were. This creation  of  subsistence  and comfort is  a good  thing  in  itself; it  remains  to  be seen  whether  it  is  justified  by  paying  its  own  cost. This we  shall  learn  when  we  have  reviewed  the history of  our  Dairy  and  Poultry-yard. 2em