I0l8 RURAL ECONOMICS 



RURAIv ECONOMICS. 

 793 - Increase of Yield of the Soil in the Alpine Regions of Salzburg, Austria. — iiamza 



Eknst, in Wu-iur LaiuhcirtscliafllicJu' Zcilschrijt, Xo. 32, i>p. 4<-'7-409. Vienna, June 30, 1913. 



In spite of the long-continued efforts of leading men to replace the out- 

 of-date sytem known as " Egartenwirtschaft " (i) by 3 rational cultivation 

 of the Alpine region, no noteworthy progress has hitherto been recorded 

 in that direction. The " Landeskulturrat " of the Tyrol alone has taken 

 this very important question in hand. 



The enormous value of intensive forage crop production is obvious 

 if we consider that in Austria about 311 220 acres are cultivated on the 

 " Egart " system, the yield of which might without any great difficulty 

 be doubled, and if we compare the yield of artificial grasslands, which is 

 80 to 100 or even 240 cwt of hay per acre, with that of the " Egart", whih 

 is 16 to 64 cwt. We may remark that in this comparison no allowance is 

 made for the fact that artificial grass-land produces a quality of forage in- 

 comparably superior to that of the "Egart ", which contains from 60 to 

 80 % of weeds or poor quality grass. Unless the population are continually 

 instructed and the question is handled and const antl)^ kept under watch 

 by competent authorities, and the necessary information supplied whenever 

 required, that is to say, unless somebod}^ thorouglil}' at home in this ques- 

 tion both theoretically and practically, takes it up systematically, the 

 money granted to the " Subventionswiesen " (subsidised grass-lands) will 

 in most cases be absolutely wasted. 



Not only those parts of the country where " Egart " is practised are 

 very much behindhand, but also those where cultivation prevails. There 

 are at present still fallow lands, for instance the " Flachgau " of Salzburg, 

 in Upper Austria and in various parts of Lower Austria, where triennial 

 rotation is still carried on. As the small region of Salzburg presents these 

 two very distinct systems of cultivation, it is expedient to mention here tlie 

 conditions of soil utilisation existing on present farms. 



I. — Region known as the " Egart" Region (Pinzgau, Pongau, Lungau 

 and Tannengau). — The most usual rotation is: grain crops, grain crops, 

 then 4 years " Egart " ; or grain 3 time running, and 3 years" Egart ". 

 There is no reason to do away with this system ; it is sufficient to substi- 

 tute artificial grass-land for natural grassland. On his trial lands, which 

 w-ere tilled and dressed after the usual manner cf the country, the Author 

 nevertheless obtained yields equal or very close to those generally 

 obtained. It is evident moreover that the yields undergo considerable 

 increase if more careful tillage is done and if the preceding crops are 

 better chosen. 



(i) The " Egartenwirtschaft ", or " Egart " system, as practised in the mountain regions 

 of Austria, part of Bavaria, etc., consists in fallowing for a certain period, laying down to grass 

 for the same period, and cereal growing for a further equal period. (Ed.) 



