Round the house the land was cultivated, and all round the
cultivated land the luxuriant heather revealed disappearing traces
of cultivation, and obliterated furrows.

"This was a cornfield once," said Pelle.

"Well, to think of your seeing that right off!" exclaimed Lasse,
half sarcastically, half in real admiration. "The deuce of an eye
you've got, you truly have! I should certainly have noticed nothing
particular about the heath--if I had not known. Yes, that has been
under cultivation, but the heath has won it back again! That was
under my predecessor, who took in more than he could work, so that
it ruined him. But you can see now that something can be done with
the land!" Lasse pointed to a patch of rye, and Pelle was obliged
to recognize that it looked very well. But through the whole length
of the field ran high ridges of broken stone, which told him what
a terrible labor this soil demanded before it could be brought under
cultivation. Beyond the rye lay newly-broken soil, which looked like
a dammed-up ice-field; the plough had been driven through mere
patches of soil. Pelle looked at it all, and it made him sad to
think of his father.

Lasse himself was undismayed.

"As it is, it needs two to hold the plough. Karna is very strong,
but even so it's as though one's arms would be torn from one's body
every time the plough strikes. And most of it has to be broken up
with pick and drill--and now and again it takes a bit of a sneeze.
I use dynamite; it's more powerful than powder, and it bites down
into the ground better," he said proudly.