the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 327 



land does not up to the present time appear to have thriven, and 

 I frequently heard the farmers spoken of disparagingly as culti- 

 vators. They are accused of taking all they can get out of the land 

 and leaving it the worse for their occupation. Many farmers are 

 Jews, and the system of exhaustive cultivation pursued by some 

 of these men was from time to time noticed. On the other 

 hand, Mr. Otocska of Giesing, Mr. Elvers of Rer, and Mr. Fabri- 

 cius, whose farms I visited, were all good managers, the two 

 former gentlemen having been previously trained as stewards 

 upon large estates. The late Mr. Smallbones also occupied a 

 farm at Deutsch-kreuss, under Prince Esterhazy. Many noble- 

 men would gladly welcome good English farmers, and let them 

 portions of their estates at liberal rents, and upon liberal condi- 

 tions. English capital and energy would be likely to succeed, 

 if they could cope with the difficulties of language, novel 

 surroundings, and climate. German agriculturists can more 

 easily reconcile themselves to a country from which they are 

 less distant, and where their language is in general use. 



Few visits were more interesting than that paid to Mr. 

 Otocska, who farms 1800 acres, 1600 acres of which are under 

 the plough, at Giesing, near Zinkendorf QCdenburg, under Count 

 Emerich Szachenyi. This gentleman enjoys a high reputation 

 as an agriculturist, and for many years had the management of 

 Count Karolyi's estate at Tot-Megyer, in Upper Hungary (see 

 page 364). The regular form of the fields, the good crops they 

 bore, and the superior system carried out over the whole farm, 

 combined to give a most favourable impression. Here, too, was to 

 be seen a large assortment of English implements, among which 

 I noticed Samuelson's and Johnson's reapers. Wood's mowing 

 machine, Bentall's pulper, Richmond and Chandler's chaff- 

 cutters. Turner's, and Clayton and Shuttleworth's mills. Priest 

 and Woolnough's drill, Clayton and Shuttleworth's horse-gear 

 and threshing-machine. Mr. Otocska uses Ransome's, Howard's, 

 and Hohenheim ploughs ; but the two former are made on native 

 models, as the English form is too long in the mould-board, 

 and four oxen with them can do no more Vv'ork than two 

 oxen can with the native-made ploughs. Howard's harrows, 

 weighted with oak blocks of 30 lbs. each, Coleman's cultivators, 

 and other English implements, were also noticed. Mr. Otocska 

 told me he could grow from 30 to 34 bushels of wheat ; 50 to 68 

 bushels of Indian corn ; 40 to 50 bushels of oats ; 34 to 40 bushels 

 of barley per acre. He has also a contract for growing sugar- 

 beet for the Zinkindorf factory, and can produce from 10 to 12^ 

 tons per acre. Since improved pressing machinery has been 

 introduced into sugar factories, the pulp has become very 



