THE TIDE OF EVENTS

Southland Times, Issue 18059, 31 January 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TIDE OF EVENTS

A FEW THINGS SEEN FROM THB

HEADLAND.

BELGIOI'S BEAST OF BURDEN

' The people of the British Empire use the horse, tiie elephant, the camel and the ox aa beasts of burden. Wherever the people are " white" however, it is chiefly the horse, and in Great Britain wholly so. There would be a repugnance among British people to using the dog in the same . relation; nor would it appear to us that this animal was strong enough. In Belgium, however, the chief beast. of burden is no other, and moreover 'to utilise its services as much as possible, special vehicles are made and harness designed, varying in character from light to heavy. .Belgium is the greatest agricultural country in Europe, and, counting the area, the greatest in the world, if we exclude China. Much more than half the area is under cultivation, and while the population is about six millions, no fewer thro three quarters of a million are engaged exclusively in tilling the soil.

Without the aid of the dog this, strange as it may readi would be; impossible, its abolition as a beast of burden necessitating either a lowering of the standard of agricultural life, or the throwing into idleness of ia large area of the land. The dog assists the farmer first in the tillage of the land, then in gathering in the crops, and lastly by idriaggihg them either to the nearest railway station or the nearest town on market day. ; In the towns and villages of Belgium the traveller sees many strange sights, but "strangest' of c aiV to him is the number of. dogs in hainfesS hurrying about in .all" ; directions; r^sometimes.singly, but more often in twos, threes and fours. The struts of thelargfir towns are full of them. They are employed for many purposes outside those: mentioned, such as in the delivery of meat; bread and milk, groceries, etc. Very attractive is the get-up of a dog carriage of cart employed in this relatiou, small as is: necessary, and frequently both daintily designed and daintily maintained. The dogs employed; in the cities suffer a disadvantage compared with those einployedvinthe country iv that they axe always muzzled. As compensation for this, however, they ai*e much better protected by the injectors, whose duty it is to see that the loads 4hey carry are not. beyond thenstrength.