410 Agricultural Tour 



and bone-dust, on lands which have ceased to yield Inxuiiant 

 crops of rape. 



Kiel to Copenhagen. — The voyage by steam from Kiel to 

 Copenhagen occupies about twenty-four hours. The islands 

 which are passed before reaching the coast of Zealand are 

 Laaland (Lowland), Falster, and Moen. Except a part of the 

 island of Moen, where the soil, a calcareous clay, rests imme- 

 diately upon chalk, and forms some of the best Avheat land in 

 Denmark, these islands, as well as Funen and Zealand, are 

 covered by the same boulder formation which overspreads the 

 eastern half of Jutland, Sleswick, and Holstein. I had no oppor- 

 tunity during my recent visit of personally observing the state of 

 agriculture in these islands, but I was favoured by Mr. Hofman 

 Bang, of Hofmansgave, near Odensee, one of the most zealous 

 and intelligent agriculturists in the island, with much information 

 in regard to the existing state of farming in Funen. The soil there 

 is generally light and sandy, yet, like the similar soils in the un- 

 dulating district of Holstein^ it grows good crops of corn and 

 rape. The custom of taking three white crops in succession used 

 to be general. Among the better class of farmers the course was 

 fallow Vt^ith manure, rye, barley, oats, clover and rye-grass, and 

 then two or three years' grass — so that only one-eighth of the 

 arable land was manured every year. Among the peasants (small 

 farmers) the artificial grasses are not used ; and three white crops, 

 followed by two or three years of grass and a fallow, with manure, 

 is still the prevailing practice. The improved course introduced 

 more recently on some of the large estates is only a step towards 

 the full measure of improvement. This is — 1st, naked fallow 

 with manure — 2nd^ rye — 3rd, wheat — 4th, potatoes and vetches 

 manured — 5th, barley — 6th, oats — 7th, grass for two or three 

 years. The culture of potatoes is extending, and many are also 

 now grown in Zealand ; but, though many cattle are kept, turnips 

 are unknown as a general winter food. Here and there small 

 experimental patches are occasionally seen ; and Mr. Bang told 

 me that, besides potatoes, he occasionally raises a few Swedish 

 turnips for fattening his cattle. In Funen the cattle are kept in 

 the house from the middle of November to the middle of May, 

 and are in general fed all the while on straw and hay only — some- 

 thing of the old Scottish system, now, fortunately, a matter of 

 history only, of merely keeping cattle alive till the spring pasture 

 came. Potatoes with chopped straw are now occasionally given. 

 Here, as in Jutland, the cattle are seldom fattened, but are sold 

 lean. In places which are remote from a market the oats are 

 sometimes used up in fattening the stock. 



As upon the mainland opposite to it, much butter and cheese 



