the Austro-Hungarian Emjvre. 339 



■Of this, G450 acres are under arable cultivation. There is a 

 steward on each of the three last divisions, and the estate 

 ■director with his staff resides at the central portion, Kis-Ber 

 proper. The greater portion of the land is worked by Hun- 

 g'arian oxen, but horses are also employed. The system of 

 ■shilling' corn has been introduced over the whole estate, and 

 Samuelson's, Hornsby's, and Johnson's reapers, with Clayton 

 -and Shuttleworth's threshing-machines, are all in general use. 



On Kis-Ber proper (the home farm) the stabling is extensive ; 

 and for arrangement, commodiousness, and quality, it must be 

 allowed to stand first in the whole Austro-Hungarian dominions. 

 The entire-horses occupy a magnificent line of lofty and liberally 

 •constructed loose-boxes with covered ways both before and 

 behind, covered riding school, and every possible contrivance for 

 housing a large number of valuable thorough-bred s. The brood 

 mares are accommodated in a long succession of paddocks, each 

 ■of which is furnished with a hovel. The weaned foals and 

 yearlings are housed in spacious sheds when they are not out on 

 the pasture, and are attended to by soldiers, who seem very fond 

 of their charge. The gentleness of the thorough-bred horses, 

 owing no doubt to kind treatment and constant attention, 

 was very remarkable here, and upon the other Imperial stud- 

 farms. I arrived at four o'clock on June 24th, and was met by 

 Colonel Zoest, and Mr. Hackle the English stud-groom, who 

 showed me through the largest collection of thorough-bred and 

 half-bred horses I had ever seen. The next day, from half-past 

 six in the morning, was devoted to driving round the estate, and 

 inspecting horses both on the pasture and in studs and stables. 

 Fine Allgauer cows and Hungarian oxen were also noticed, 

 and a general glimpse of the agriculture of the estate Avas 

 obtained. If the term " intensive " may be applied to the agri- 

 culture of England, that of" extensive " may be used as applicable 

 to that of Hungary. Good crops of grain and beet were seen, 

 and a remarkably vigorous plant of oats and vetches for fodder. 

 The pastures were also rich and abundant, but rough and lumpy, 

 apparently needing rolling. Rye-grass and clover formed a 

 capital, but somewhat neglected-looking pasture, in which a fine 

 herd of young horses grazed, attended by their csikosen or 

 inounted guards, who never leave them. Grass was lying in 

 swathe and wanted turning, as it was bleaching below ; but labour 

 is not abundant here. The yearlings and two-year-olds are 

 herded on the pastures, and in the heat of the day stand close 

 together, while the picturesque csikosen watch over them, 

 mounted on small but active little horses. Colonel Zoest 

 informed me that there are two objects in maintaining this 

 extensive stud. First the breeding of thorough-bred horses, 



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