. A free farmer in a free state: a study of rural life and industry and agricultural politics in an agricultural country . rface in whichone might eventually sink to the waist or to the neck. Sothe first step is to cut the trenches which drain off the waterthrough minor canals to the large canal which is penetratingthe wild. The quantity of water which pours out of the fenis so large than one wonders how such morass can ever beturned into dry peat. The fen loses about a third of itsvolume by draining. But once the water has gone—in about two years fromthe digging of the trenches—the work of sl
. A free farmer in a free state: a study of rural life and industry and agricultural politics in an agricultural country . rface in whichone might eventually sink to the waist or to the neck. Sothe first step is to cut the trenches which drain off the waterthrough minor canals to the large canal which is penetratingthe wild. The quantity of water which pours out of the fenis so large than one wonders how such morass can ever beturned into dry peat. The fen loses about a third of itsvolume by draining. But once the water has gone—in about two years fromthe digging of the trenches—the work of slicing out thepeats by hand or by machine, and stacking them to dryis set about. The high level of skill to which the peatcutting has been brought is noteworthy, and it is httlewonder that the picturesque labourers who work at it inan exposed country from April to July, get comparativelyhigh wages (from 23s. to 24s, a week). The miles of stacks GRONINGEN 20 i of the black peats, right away to the horizon, make anineffaceable impression. This diagram illustrates roughly the plan by which highfen becomes farm land :. S$i/?vMOH How THE High FfnIS Subdued
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1912
