Shorter Notices Two Acres and Freedom. By J. 0. Baker.
(Gifford. 7s. ed.) THE purpose of Mr. Baker's book is wholly admirable. Prompted by the large number of men (mainly in the Forces) whom he has heard declare that, after the war, they intend to make their living on the land, he has compiled a guide as to how they should set about it. His guide is severely practical and his attitude entirely un- romantic: it will not be his fault, one feels, if the same sad story is repeated of " the Lost Legion" who sualt their gratuities in the land after the last war. He would have the men know exactly what they are up against ; and to this end he has throughout stressed the amount of work that must necessarily precede the reward and the facts that must tether their dream of self-sufficiency to earth. Here, then, is advice on what to grow on the two acres (whether salads, fruit or flowers) and how to grow it ; tables of costs ; sample budgets ; lists of essential machinery and details of the kinds best suited to small holdings ; hints on marketing • and a useful selection of sources of information, complete with addresses, etc. The only oriticism that could be made of this little book is that, in certain matters—such as cultivation—it is somewhat, too sketchy, and also that, since 1943 (when apparently it was written), the scramble for small holdings has made it more than ever difficult for those who are looking for " a little place of their own in the country " to find one—or, having found it, to assure an adequate return for their outlay.
Previous page
