THE FARMER' 



have remained waste and barren — valueless to the pro- 

 prietor, and contributing nothing to the wealth of the 

 nation. Stock-jobbing and gamblini, trading with in- 

 sufficient capital, and the vile system of lottery loans, 

 and licensed foreign state lotteries, have demoralized 

 the great bulk of the population. 



Of about 140,500,000 acres, the computed extent of 

 the Austrian empire, there were, in 1851 — 



In Forest 44,500,000 acres 



Pasture 22,000,000 ,, 



Meadow and Gardens 20,000,000 „ 



Arable land 52,000,000 „ 



Vineyards 1,740,000 „ 



Olive, Laurel, and Chestnut 



Grounds 155,000 „ 



The agricultural produce raised in that year was — 



Wheat 07,679,000 bushels. 



Rye 99,000,000 „ 



Barley 74,600,000 „ 



Oats 131,567,000 „ 



Maize 56,000,000 „ 



Rice 1,500,000 „ 



Other kinds of grain 1 7,000,000 „ 



False 11,000,000 „ 



Potatoes 142,500,000 „ 



Wine 622,500,000 gallons. 



Tobacco 845,507 cwts. 



Flax and hemp 3,098,000 , , 



Linseed 579,253 ,, 



Hops 72,599 „ 



Olive and seed oil 647,278 „ 



Wool 444,568 „ 



The live stock comprised 3,230,000 horses, 116,210 

 mules and asses, 3,795,348 bulls and oxen, 6,615,136 

 cows, 16,801 ,545 sheep, 2,275,900 goats, and 7,401,300 

 swine. The consumption of beet-root in the sugar 

 manufactories in 1853 was 5,360,055 centners (of 123^ 

 pounds each). 



Grain has of late years become a considerable article 

 of importation into Austria. In the ten years previous 

 to 1850 the exports of grain from the empire were not 

 very inferior to the quantity imported from abroad ; 

 but latterly this has no longer been the case. The 

 withdrawal of so many agricultural hands from the 

 labours of the field for the necessities of the war, and 

 the prospect of incursory ravages and forced levies, 

 with neglect of cultivation, will aggravate this difficulty- 

 In 1851 the imports of grain and flour exceeded the 

 exports by nearly 2,000,000 cwts., and in 1854 the 

 quantity imported exceeded that exported by not less 

 than 5,630,000 cwts., the total amount named being 

 6,950,000 cwts. ; of this 1,800,000 cwts. were of wheat, 

 of which very nearly 1,000,000 cwts. came from Russia, 

 600,000 cwts. from Turkey, and nearly 300,000 cwts. 

 from Germany. Of the other grains rather more than 

 1,000,000 cwts. came from Turkey, 760,000 cwts. from 

 Russia, and 500,000 cwts. from Germany. In 1856 

 the importation was not so great, and only exceeded 

 the exports by 2,700,000 cwts., which consisted almost 

 entirely of barley and oats. The abundant harvest 

 in most parts of the empire left a surplus of wheat for 

 exportation of 630,000 cwts. above the imports of it. 

 Of rye, Indian com, peas, and beans the export also 

 exceeded the import by 1,200,000 cwts. 



There are no official returns yet published enabling 



S MAGAZINE. 



527 



us to institute comparisons as respects the last two 

 years. 



Wool is a very important item, both of import and 

 of export, in Austria, the coarser sorts being imported 

 in larger quantities, chiefly from Russia ; while the 

 finer kinds, for the most part grown in Hungary, form 

 one of the chief staples of that country, and are an- 

 nually exp irtcd — to a far greater value than that of 

 the imported — to supply the manufactories of the 

 States of the Zollverein, of France, and of Belgium. 



From 1831 to 1840 the annual importation of wool 

 did not quite amount to 50,000 cwts., and from 1841 

 to 1850 it did not rise to 63,000 cwts. ; but in 1851 it 

 was 101,800 cwts., in 1852 it was 135,500 cwts., and 

 in 1853 120,800 cwts. In 1854 the blockade of the 

 Russian ports having stopped the usual outlets for the 

 wool of that country, a large quantity was furnished to 

 Austria, and the import there rose to 291,800 cwts. ; 

 in 1855 it was 210,730 cwts., and in 1856 it fell to 

 184,220 cwts. 



Flax and hemp from 1841 to 1850 was annually im- 

 ported to the extent of about 176,000 cwt. In 1854, 

 owing to the failure of the crop of the preceding year, 

 the quantity was only 91,100 cwt.; in 1856 the im- 

 portations rose to 207,100 cwt., a large proportion 

 being Roman hemp, and exceeded the quantity ex- 

 ported by 160,000 cwt. 



Live stock forms an article of import rather than of 

 export, the former having exceeded the latter in 1856 

 by 573,000 head, which consisted, however, almost 

 wholly of swine, of which animals the number im- 

 ported, chiefly from the neighbouring Turkish pro- 

 vinces, exceeded 600,000. Horses are imported into 

 Austria in greater numbers than are exported from it. 

 In the years previous to 1850, the excess of those im- 

 ported was about 4,000. They appear to be brought 

 in tolerably equal proportions, from Turkey, from 

 southern Germany, and from Russia. In 1854 those 

 imported exceeded the exported by 8,300; but in 1856 

 the excess was only 2,700. 



These statistic details will enable our readers to form 

 a pretty correct estimate of the agricultural resources 

 of the Austrian empire. It cannot escape notice that 

 among the principal imports are many which, instead 

 of importing from abroad, Austria might have been 

 expected to produce in sufficient quantities to have a 

 surplus available for exportation to other countries. 

 With so overwhelming a proportion of the population 

 of a thickly-peopled country devoted to the cultivation 

 of the soil, it must afford subject of surprise that 

 Austria should not only be an importer of manufac- 

 tured goods, but that she should have to supply from 

 abroad her deficiency of grain, of wine, of cattle, and 

 of horses. With her sea coasts blockaded and shut out 

 from transit trade on many of her land frontiers, Austria 

 will feel the pressure, should the war last. On the Swiss, 

 Russian, and Turkish frontiers, she carried on a large 

 part of her trade, and now she will be restricted to 

 southern Germany, Saxony, and Prussia. The sea- 

 ports of Trieste, Venice, and France are closed, while 

 the steamers of the Austrian Lloyd's and Danubian 

 companies are withdrawn for fear of capture. 

 N N 



