IXFORMATIOX RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY IN GENERAL S^ 



ings was thus 733,000 marks. The new building of churches, schools and 

 ])resbyteries, begun in 191 4, has been interrupted. 



Works executed for the improvement of the soil have also been of di- 

 minished im])ortance. 167 hectares of cultivable land were drained and 

 209 hectares of cultivated marshy and meadowland improved ; and 6,535 

 metres (i) of roads mended with stones or paved. Moreover 700 hectares 

 of marshy land were redeemed, being converted into meadows. 



The stock of settlers has been improved by a distribution of pedigree 

 bulls and sheep for purposes of breeding. Moreover twenty-four cows and 

 heifers and three draught-oxen have been sold to them, the animals ema- 

 nating from the live stock reserves of the colonized holdings or being bought 

 with the funds intended for the development of bull depositories in the colo- 

 nization communes. 



]\Iuch more attention has been paid than in the previous year to trees 

 bearing fruit or otherwise usefully productive. In 302 colonists' gardens, along 

 roads of communication and in the village pasture grounds, 12,026 fruit- 

 trees have been planted as against 6,841 in the preceding year, 412 nut 

 trees as against 151 ; 1,859 forest and ornamental saplings as against 947, 

 and 2,349 saplings for hedges as against 264. The setclers have also form- 

 ed seven model fruit-tree plantations containing 379 saplings. To care for 

 the trees thirteen settlers and settlers' sons have been trained and eleven 

 of them have already been engaged by contract. Hitherto as many as 

 170 have been trained and in of these are following the trade of forestry. 

 As regards the protection of birds 604 nestfuls have been brought up arti- 

 ficially in thirty-six colonization villages in West Prussia and thirty in 

 Posnania. 



The economic position of the settlers has improved since 191 5. The 

 price of agricultural products has increased ; the women have come to un- 

 derstand rural econoni}' better ; and many settlers have obtained leave on 

 economic grounds. While in- the preceding year 1887 prorogations of paj'- 

 ment had to be granted there were only iioo of them in 1916. The total 

 sums remaining to be paid out of a capital of 12,000,000 marks passed be- 

 tween these two years from 500,000 to 425,000 marks. Ever\i;hing possible 

 has indeed been done to bring back the colonies to their normal circumstances; 

 and the whole merit attaching to the value of these farms is understood when 

 it is seen that diiring this year they were granted, always in the measure 

 which was possible, the labour of a certain number of prisoners of war and 

 the right to employ the necessary draught-animals ; while 7,861 settlers, 

 9.383 sons and other members of the fam iliesof settlers, and. 2, 666 employ- 

 ees — m all 19,910 babouring men, were suffered to return to the farms. 



The colonists' holdings have to some extent changed hands, either ow- 

 ing to the war or for other reasons. The number of holdings sold or let has 

 risen from 78 to 109. Sixteen farms had to be sold by auction, but their 

 occupiers had shown themselves to be bad managers before the war. In 



(i) I metre — 1 yard 3.371 inches. 



