Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-09-16
The Rhine Peasantry.

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 bank
rupt, the landlord cannot seize it; he
must take an action against the insolv-
ent purchaser, when the land is sold by
public auction, and from the proceeds
lie is paid such sum as the Judge CON
siders equitable. The price of land
varies from 200 to 500 tbalers ESQ to e75)
for ''morgen," nine-tenths of an acre,
in the Rhine provinces; but this varies
in different localities, aud is, of course.
dearer near towns, and cheaper in the
country distric s. When land is rent
ed, however, from 9l to e3 los. per
"morgen" is usually paid; but this, too,
varies according to the demand for and
quality of the land. u o eaU i'a
A portion of land is in some COM
munities set apart for experimental
husbandry, and only such seeds and
fertilizers as produce good results are
bought. The peasants, too, pay pro-
fessors of agriculture to test the value Of
chemical manures, while experienced
raen travel from village to village to
give needful instruction. The grand
results of combination again prove the
truth of the proverb which is constant
! ly, though, alas. Intellectually dinned
into our ears, "Unity is strength.
Bullocks are more used for ploughinp
than horses. Very little stock is KEEP
in this part of Germany, and between
the fields are whitewashed landmarks,
not fences.
The cottages have in nearly every
case an upper story. and never consis
of less than three rooms and loft
They are built in many instance o
! wood, but mora frequently of brick
. plastered white and crossed by blac
beams. They are scrupulously clean
= most have bright green shutters, an'
. are often embowered in creeping plants
The furniture is simple, and stoves il
which coal is burned are to be found il
Q every house. Wood is in the Rhin
Il province too dear to admit of it's bein
It generally employed for fuel, as it is i
the North, and turf is little used here
is though common in other localities.
8. The food is chiefly vegetable. Breal
a fast consists of black coffee and rJ
bread, better quality of which is cal
,e ed "fine bread" and eaten by the upp'
= classes with elices OF buttered whi
IN bread like sandwiches. The father
the family, If able to afford it, may i
., dulge in sausage as we'll. The dim
=, is composed invariably of large ture'
~ ~ of soup. cabbage, potato, buttermil
pea, beer, black bread, raisin or rice,
the case may be +; the buttermilk al
~ boer soups are to an Irish palate abo
80 as appetizing as Spartan brothl Me
70 70 is with the poorer classes rare luxul
~ but they eat every variety of vegetab
''' cooked in a much superior manner
ours, and rendered palatable with DIR
ping. On high days and holids
vo "saurkraut" and sausages make th'
as appearance.