1051 



half as much as thai, it may be said that the cultivation of them, 

 more than of anything else, is of importance to the small tenant 

 because even the poorest can always get a piece of ground upon 

 which to cultivate the potatoes needed for himself and his family 

 — often on a rocky flat which is thereby brought under cultivation 

 for the first time. Roots-crops are too little grown to be of impor- 

 tance, and in this particular the Færoes are far behind the 

 Shetland Islands, where in 1898 root-crops covered 4900 acres 

 of land. 



Where during late years, some progress may be noticed as 

 regards these departments, it is in a great measure due to the work 

 done by the consulting agriculturist appointed by government^ who 

 goes from town to town and assists the people by advice and practical 

 help to a better utilisation of the soil and of the live stock. His 

 efforts, however, have been unable to lessen the drawbacks occasioned 

 by the large parcelling out of the allodial land; when a man has 

 his property scattered in from 50 to 100 different piaces good 

 drainage is difficult to carry out, though the latter is an essential 

 condition of cultivation in the Færoes, on account of the humidity 

 of the climate; also the small lots into which the properties are 

 divided prevent the use of draught animals. 



Domestic Animals. 



The Færoese hor ned cattle are mountain cattle, but not of 

 any especially decided character; alive, they weigh from 400 to 500 

 English pounds, and the average amount of milk yielded by each 

 cow hardly exceeds 200 gallons a year. Their chief fodder is hay 

 from the enclosed fields, but the supply of food during winter as 

 well as the arrangement of the cow-sheds are very deficient. During 

 the summer the food may be fairly good, but great w^ant is felt of 

 the excellent, fenced-in pastures which are to be found in the 

 Shetlands and which permit regular feeding. The cows, about 3000 

 in number, generally graze during summer in that part of the 

 outside fields (the scatholds) which is nearest to the town. In seve- 

 ral piaces, during the greater part of the time from Oct. 15th to 

 the end of November, cows are allowed to graze untethered in 

 enclosed fields. The milk is rich, and the production of butter 

 might be increased considerably so that the importation of butter 

 and margarine, which is now extensive, might be rendered 



* R. B. Effersø, who has obtained part of his agricultural training in Scotland. 



