The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-10-06
The Rhine Peasantry.

s No government aid is given to the
peasant in the Rhine province; he must
raise money by frugality and hard work
before he can hope TO "sit under the
shade of his own fig-tree." There are
many private societies for advancing
money, at low rates of interest-none
higher than five per cent. If man
desires to buy his holding, he is at liberty
to pay portion down, and the rest by
annual installments. From the date of
the first payment the property is his own.
Should he become bankrupt, the land
lord can not seize It.; he must take afi
action against the insolvent purchaser,
when the land is sold by public auction,
and from the proceeds he is paid such
a sum as the Judge considers equitable.
The price of land varies from 200 to 500
thalers (E30 to 975) for q ''morgen, "
uine-tenths of an acre, in the Rhine
province; but this varies in different To-
calities and Is, of course, dearer near
towns sand cheaper irB the country dis
tricts When land is rented, however,
from E1 to f3 los. per 'morgen" is
usually paid; but this, too. varies acord-
ing to the demand for and quality of the
land.
A portion of land is in some commu-
mites set apart for experimental hus-
bandry, and only such seedssand fertil
izers as produce good results are bought
The peasants. too, pay professors of
agriculture to test the value of chemical
mahures, while experienced men travel
from village 10 village to give needful
instruction. The grand results of COM
bination again prove the truth of the
proverb which is constantly. though,
alas, Intellectually, dinned into our ears,
Unity is strength" Bullocks are more
used for blowing than horses Very
little stock is kept in this part of Ger
many, and between the fields are white
washed landmarks, not fences.
The cottages have in nearly every case
an upper story. and never consist of less
than three rooms and a loft. They are
built in many instances of wood, but
more frequently of brick. plastered
white and crossed by black beams. They
are scrupulously clean; most have bright
green shutters and are often embowered
in creeping plants. The furniture is
simple. and stoves in which coal is
burned are to be found in every house.
Wood is in the Rhine province too dear
to admit of its being generally employed
for fuel as it is in the North, and turf is
little used here, though common in other
localities.
The food is chiefly vegetable. Break
fast consists of black coffee and rye
bread, q better quality of which is called
''fine bread,r and eaten by the upper
classes with slices of buttered white
bread like sandwiches. The father of
the family, if able 10 afford it, may in
dulge in sausage as well. The dinner
is composed invariably of large tureen
of soup, cabbage, potato, buttermilk,
pea, beer, black bread, raisin, or rice, as
the case may be; the buttermilk and
beer soups are TO an Irish palate about
rs appetizing as Spartan BROTH Meat is
with the poorer classes a rare luxury.
but they eat every variety Of vegetable,
cooked in a much superior manner to
ours, and rendered palatable with dip
ping. On high days and holidays
''sauerkraut' and sausages make their
appearance HarPer's Bazar.