The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-11-06


AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND,
Farming in the low countries of Hol-
land and Belgium is an interesting
study. To one whose home is on the
boundless prairies of the West, it is a
problem. To know that country no
larger than Maryland contains six mil
lions of people who live chiefly by agri
culture is interesting, but to see the
little hooks and odd shaped corners of
land that pass for farms in Belgium is
to doubt ones own eyes. The smallest
farm lands of Continental Europe are
those of Belgium. AS one passes into
Holland the farms may be seen to in
crease In size until the Dutch province
of Friesland is reached where cattle
raising is the chief pursuit. There the
fat grazing lands afford plenty of range
for the herds of sleek black and white
spotted butter-makers which are fam
GUS the world over.
In Belgium the produce of every
farm is varied. A three cornered piece
of land containing about two acres and
hemmed by bitches filled with water is
the size and situation of typical Bel
gian farm. AS small as it is, it will
contain patch of wheat or rye and
another of barley; another fair portion
of it grows potatoes.
A row of cabbage grows all around
onthe sloping sides of the bitches with
a row of onions just inside leaving bare
walking room between them and the
grain The rest of the tillable soil is
planted with great variety OF vege
tables either for substantial food for
the farmers own table or a better
priced product for other mems tables.
For shade, ornament and profit, a row
of fruit trees, mostly pear trees, sur
round his house. There are no yards
or stable lots because they are not
needed, and besides every inch of
ground must produce. l have won
dered how these little spots Of ground
could be made to furnish enough to feed
and clothe farmer and his family of
seven or eight children-they all seem
to have large families. 1 asked the
farmer in Flanders how he could man
age to support himself with two acres
of ground. II had the same crop last
year." he said, and had barley and
onions and cabbage to sell after selling
my early vegetables. Then I had a
few hogs, some chickens and eggs to
send to market"
l had not thought of live stock on the
place but he showed me where he kept
his hogs and chickens and eggs. In a
back room under the same square tiled
roof with himself, were six fine pork
ers. 1t was a clean and comfortable
place for them, too, Notwithstanding a
score Of chickens lived in the same
room with them. 1 knew he did not
have a horse. There was not room
enough on the place for one of my little
bronchos, not to speak of the big Bel
gian draft horses which pull the enor
mously big trucks in Antwerp and
Brussels. In one corner of this room
which was his stable two good sized
dogs were chained to a kennel. They
were common looking enough, but as
dear to him, no doubt, as my horses are
to me. They served him as horses dc
in America. These then were a couple
of the famous Flemish trekhonden,
the draught dogs of Belgium and South
Holland, where one may see them on
the highways and in the streets OF
every village and city. They seem to
be mongrel breed with all sorts OF
strains noticeable among them. They
draw those heavy little two wheeled
wagons loaded with everything, with
milk, with vegetables, with lumber and
sometimes you may see two or three OF
these dogs rattling along over the
paved country roads with three or four
persons in the cart behind them. They
are in every way cheaper than horses,
and I believed this Flemish farmer
when he said that with his two good
dogs he did not need horse.
Such dogs, he said, would bring &c
francs each in the Sunday morning dog
market in Antwerp. In iceland, which
forms that portion of Holland with Its
low sandy soil, lying on both sides Of
the mouth of the river Schelde, dogs
are not the only draught animals which
seem odd to an American. There
have seen sheep and small COWS driven
between the shafts of carts. Horses,
however, are used more on the farms
there than in Belgium. The farms are
- 1,,,t +bo coil ia not the best ex