84 INFORMATION REI,ATING TO AGRICIIXTURAI, ECONOMY IN GENERAI, 



glances at the historical development of these grants, and then estabHshes 

 the bases for an objective estimate of them, reviewing in the principal 

 part of his work each category of agricultural aids and emphasizing the re- 

 sults which have been obtained. 



We here reproduce in summarized form his chief conclusions, which 

 we take from the second part of the French edition of the Agricultural 

 Yearbook of Switzerland (i). 



A. Progress of Financial Aid granted by the Confederation to Agriculture. 



1885 1901 1910 1914 



Francs. (2) Francs. Francs. Francs. 



Total amount of all 

 federal subsidies. . . . 1,165,398 7,251,548 12,622,385 16,694,221 



Total amount of fe- 

 deral subsidies to agri- 

 culture 217,707 1,827,390 3,202,441 4,681,922 



It follows from these figures that if grants to agriculture have much 

 increased, the proportion which they bear to the total sum of federal grants 

 has lessened markedUy. Other branches of social activity derive equal 

 benefits from federal subsidies. 



When the table showing agricultural grants from 1851 to 191 2, which 

 is annexed to Dr. Schmid's work, is studied, it becomes clear which bran- 

 ches of agriculture have benefited most by the increase in the grants. From 

 such an examination the following conclusions are drawn ; 



a) Whereas until 1890 all agricultural subsidies were kept within 

 very modest limits they increased rapidly after 1895, most of them reach- 

 ing their maximum in 1910. 



h) In several branches of agricultural economy the increase in sub- 

 sidies has been regular but relatively small (small Uve stock, agricultural 

 associations, insurance against hail, agricultural instruction and experi- 

 ments). In others it has been on the other hand very large and very rapid 

 (insurance of live stock, insurance against the pests of vineyards, land im- 

 provement). Only subsidies to horse-breeding have lessened continuously 

 since 1898. 



c) Subsidies to land improvement, the insurance of live stock, the 

 campaign against diseases of the vine, and cattle-breeding have, especially 

 since 1905, much surpassed those to other branches of agriculture. The 

 indisputable results obtained by subsidies in the spheres of land improve- 

 ment and cattle-breeding have contributed to their increase. As regards 

 the subsidies to the insurance of live stock and the campaign against di- 



(i) Annuaire agricole de la Suisse, 2nd part, Berne, Wyss, igi6. — Lcs subventions fedcm 

 rales en faveur de VagricuUure. Extract from a study by Dr. A. Schmid, published in the 

 German edition of the Agricultural yearbook of Switzerland. 



(2) I francs = 9 Vb ^ ^^ P^'^- 



