THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



307 



The principal winter food for cattle is peas, clover, vetches, 

 oat and barley mashes, bran, and oil- cake. 



Horses. — The best Danish horses are to be found in Jut- 

 land, and it is from thence that the largest exportations take 

 place. A great many Yorkshire stallions have been im- 

 ported, and have materially assisted in improvuig the breed. 

 The number of horses, including colts, in the country is cal- 

 culated at about (500,000. The total of exportations in 1 857 

 was 9,768, and of importations 904. 



Sheep. — The number of sheep and lambs in the country, 

 including the Duchies, is estimated at about 1,500,000. In 

 some parts of thecountrj', especially in the islands, the breed 

 has been much improved by mixture with the Dishley, 

 Leicester, aud Southdown races, by which a great ameliora- 

 tion has been produced both in the flesh and wool. The 

 original Danish race of sheep, which has a coarse, short) and 

 stiff wool, is still maintained in many places without any 

 improvement. Fine woollen sheep are seldom kept except 

 on some of the larger estates, as, in general, they do not 

 thrive well in this climate. Merino sheep are kept in the 

 South of Zealand, and on some of the other islands. 



The total production of wool is estimated at 5,000,000 lbs. 

 annually. 



It is reckoned, on an average, that each sheep produces, 

 annually, 3 lbs. of wool. The export of this article has in- 

 creased of late years; but, on the other hand, the home 

 manufacture, which is principally confined to the peasantry, 

 has considerably decreased. 



Pigs. — The total number of pigs in the country may be 

 estimated at about 300,000. The total of exports in 1857 



amounted to ■43,700", and the imports to 2,506. The original 

 Danish breed of pigs is not very good. English pigs are 

 much in favour, and thrive well in this country, and the 

 breed in some parts has been much improved by the im- 

 portation of English boars. 



Poultry. — Poultry, such as geese, ducks, turkeys, fowls, 

 &c., are found in considerable quantities all over the country. 



Bees. — Bees are kept, more or less, throughout the country. 



Game.— Since the abolition of the Game Laws in 1849, 

 game has considerably decreased in Denmark, and is now 

 only found in any quantity on the larger estates. Wild 

 fowl are to be found in most parts of the country, especially 

 in Jutland, and great quantities are caught by means of de- 

 coys at Sylt, and the Island of Fiihr, on the west coast of 

 Jutland. 



Fish. — The sea which surrounds the Danish Islands and 

 the Peninsula abounds with fish, such as cod fish, flat fish, 

 mackerel, whiting, eels, herrings, &c. The fisheries are car- 

 ried on principally on the northern part of the east coast of 

 Jutland. In many parts, especially on the coast of Schles- 

 wig and Holstein, this source of wealth is much neglected. 

 Oyster beds are found near Hirtsholm, off the coasts of Sylt 

 and Fiihr, and in the Limifiord ; and lobsters near Frede- 

 rickshaven and in several other places ; and salmon in the 

 rivers in the Island of Bornholm. 



There are several Agricultural Societies in Denmark, 

 which distribute prizes for the best cattle ; these prizes 

 consist principally of implements, sheep, and pigs. 



Copenhagen. 



RATS. 



If every man were to write all he ever knew, saw, or 

 heard of concerning rats, some highly amusing facts 

 and anecdotes would be brought to light ; for few in- 

 deed are the inhabitants of old houses, who have not, at 

 some time or other, bad an adventure with rats. 



Detestable creatures as they are, they intrude within 

 the walls of every building ; and so acute are they in 

 discovering the exact whereabouts of good food, that, 

 put it where you will, they find it out. And they are so 

 prolific that, if not kept down, they increase in numbers 

 to such an alarming extent, that a house or building 

 overrun with rats is about as loathsome a place as man 

 can enter. 



In my shooting excursions this season I saw a greater 

 number of rats and rats' holes in and about the stack- 

 yard and fields of a large farmer than I ever before wit- 

 nessed on any one farm. The farmer alluded to has as 

 fine crops " as he ever harvested in his life " (to use his 

 own words), and, to my own knowledge, he got his corn 

 up in splendid condition ; and, as he is by no means a 

 needy man, and wishes to keep his corn many months 

 before selling it, the unusually strong army of rats ap- 

 pear almost as if sent as a curse, or to mock him. I 

 have no hesitation in saying there are thousands of 

 these vermin on his premises, and in all probability 

 every stack on his farm is now becoming honeycombed 

 with rata' holes, and the stacks alive with vermin. How 

 he intends to get rid of the nuisance I know not; but 



he seemed to take the matter very coolly, and to rely on 

 the skill of his mole and rat-catcher. As may be sup- 

 posed, there is very little game on his farm, and what 

 little I have left will be driven off, unless these vermin 

 are extirpated. 



During my shooting rambles on this farm, no less 

 than three of my wounded partridges were seized by rats 

 within five minutes of the time they fell — though in each 

 case I succeeded in depriving Mr. Rat of his booty. 

 The first of these was a bird which fell in an adjoining 

 field, and by the time I had reloaded and jumped over 

 the fence, a rat had come out of the ditch, and was fast 

 dragging my bird to its haunt. On another occasion a 

 wounded bird ran and hid in a ditch, and I only disco- 

 vered it through hearing a fluttering struggle, which, on 

 peeping through the bushes, proved to be a rat with my 

 wounded bird in its mouth. On the third occasion a 

 bird fell dead to my shot t'other side of a thick-set 

 fence, and as I had to walk round some fifty or sixty 

 yards before I could get through, the bird lay on the 

 ground several minutes, and I again saw a rat very 

 busy about my bird, as if in the act of proceeding to 

 drag it into the ditch, but I stopped his career with a 

 charge of shot. 



I have heard some men say rats do not attack game ; 

 but that notion is erroneous, as I have already shown. 

 In my opinion they do as much mischief as any other 

 vermin in the fields, and will attack young rabbits, 



