SMALL FARMS IN BELGIUM, 281 
LESSON XOCIIL. 
SMALL FARMS IN BELGIUM, 
The small farıns of from five to ten acres which 
abound in many parts of Belgium, closely resem- 
ble the small holdings in Ireland; but the small 
Irish cultivator exists in a state of miserable pri- 
vation of the common comforts and conveniences 
of cirilized life, whilst the Belgian peasant farmer 
enjoys a large portion of those comforts, 
The houses of the small cultivators in Belgium 
are generally substantially built, and in good re- 
pair: they have commonly a sleeping room in the 
attic, and closets for beds connected with the 
lower apartment, which is convenient in size: a 
small cellar for the dairy, and a store for the grain, 
as well as an oven, and an outhouse for the pota- 
toes, with a cattle stall, piggery, and poultry loft, 
The house generally contains decent furniture, 
the bedding is sufficient in quantity, and although 
the serupulous cleanliness of the Dutch may not 
be everywhere observable, an air of comfort and 
propriety pervades the whole establishment. The 
cattle are supplied with straw for bedding; the 
dung and urine arecarefully collected in the tank; 
the ditches are scoured to collect materials for 
manure; the dry leaves, potato tops, &c., are col- 
jected in a moist ditch to undergo the process of 
fermentation, and heaps of compost are in course 
ofpreparation. Thepremises are generallykept in 
neat and compact order, snd 2 scrupulous atten- 
tion to a most rigid eeenemy i3evorywhere appa-