94
Agkicultube ox the shine.
many no one recommends the peasant to diminish the
number of his herd, nor do any pretend to prescribe the
keeping of one animal for another, experience having
long since made the peasant wiser on this point than his
adviser, who cannot follow all his minute calculations.
Directions for building pits, and treating the heaps so as
to promote or check fermentation, as it may be necessary,
are circulated by the agricultural societies, but the time
has not yet arrived for observing whether the heap be
exposed to the public gaze or not. Aslongas the exist-
ence of the mass of the people is only secured by the
subdivision of the nourishing soil, that is to say, as long
as manufactures do not at home afford means of exchange
for agricultural objects, and trade is not allowed to seek
them abroad, so long must the villager be a small land-
owner ; and one of the responsibilities he lies under is,
that of contributing his share, however diminutive, towards
keeping the land in heart.
If the stream destined to furnish the indispensable be-
verage for man and beast is kept as pure as possible, this,
under the circumstances, is done at the expense of nearly
every other channel or conduit into which the impurities
can drain, or are conducted to be kept until wanted. It
is matter of difficulty to traverse the ups and downs
of village roads and paths with dry shoes in any part of
Germany. Taking the small stream as a point of de-
parture, it is easy to see how the houses have agglomerated
successively in various rows and angles, which their iso-
lated position does not show at a cursory glance. But
could we read the annals of these German parishes we
should find much comparative value created by the
vicinity of the stream, as allowing of an easier carriage of
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
95
water to the stable, or a shorter drive for cattle to water, to
say nothing of the convenience to ducksand geese, who can
waddle and sleek their feathers in the brook almost under
the eyes of their owner, and of its utility to the washing
υart of the family, whose bare legs and much-used linen
are unanimously allowed in no way to contaminate the
living stream, which indeed they rarely tincture with
soap.
The houses themselves offer a contrast to the dimi-
nutive holdings of which they are representatives. As
we have already observed, they are out of all proportion
large. In the Duchy of Cleves, they are moderate for
the most part, Owingtothegradually Obtainingdistinction
between the agricultural and the other industrious classes,
which tends to take land away from the one, and to
augment the holdings of the others. InWestphaliawe
have noticed the extent of ground occupied by farming
offices, which abstract considerably from the cultivated
land, and entail great expense by outlay for repairs.
In the villages the houses are usually built of wooden
frames, whose beams and standards are mortised into
each Otherand bound and supported by sloping stays, the
mortises being fastened by pegs throughout. Where
that timber abounds the wood most in use is oak. Near
the Rhine fir and pine wood are used. The wood is
usually seven inches square, which conveniently holds
a layer of bricks laid breadthwise in each compartment,
rl he bricks are not always burnt, and the compartments
are sometimes filled up with strong wicker-work which is
plastered over. When the house is coated with lime or
clay and whitewashed, the wooden frame is left con-
spicuous all over, and is often painted in fanciful colours.