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of the outhouses are built of granite, often of large
hewn stones; while the outhouses of the peasants are
often only built of round stones piled together. It is
curious that during a fire the most solid granite walls
crack under the influence of the water from the
fire-engines.
Every Finnish family has its sauna, or bath-house.
It is the first place built, and the family live in it
until the rest of the house is ready. In this bathhouse
is an oven filled with stones, and steam is created
by throwing water on these stones. The bathers lie
on large berths under the roof, and improve the effect
of the bath by whipping themselves with birch-twigs.
Every one takes a bath on Saturday night;
and during harvest-time, hay-making, and
forest-burning they take one every night. It is commonly
said that Englishmen and Hollanders are the only
clean nations. The people of Finland are cleaner
than the people of England or Holland.
It is difficult to estimate the average size and
average value of these peasant farms. Generally a
peasant has (including forest and pasture land) at
least 100, 250, or 400 acres. In the more
highly-cultivated districts we might say that the area of
land capable of cultivation on a Finnish peasant farm
of average size is the same as that of a farm in the
United States, or as that of the German and
Scandinavian farms before they were subdivided — namely,
120 acres. Even in the most fertile provinces, such
as Nyland, Åbo-Björneborg, and Vasa, the total area
is not less than 400 to 450 acres, because so
much uncultivated land is found everywhere. I11
the province of Viborg the average size is only 245
acres, not because this province is richer but
because the peasants have been impoverished by the
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