He understood the capacity of each field as well as others understand the yielding power of a little garden.

His former study had been to preserve something like a balance between what he put in and what he took out of the soil.

Now it became the subject of consideration how to get the most out without putting anything in.

Artificial manures were reduced to the lowest quantity and of the cheapest quality, such as was used being, in fact, nothing but to throw dust, literally, in the eyes of other people.

Times were so bad that he could not be expected, under the most favourable circumstances, to consume much cake in the stalls or make much manure in that way.
One by one extra expenditures were cut off.