372 Report on the Agriculture of 



In 1855 there were thirteen to fourteen horse threshing-machines, witli 

 closed drums, 15 inches in diameter and IS inches wide, furnished with flat, 

 iron beaters : 250 horses were also engaged for treading out the grain. The 

 bad quality of the work, the dirt and waste owing to the treading process, and 

 the pilfering on the part of the peasants and labourers emi^loyed, led to the 

 introduction of the first steam threshing-machine in 185G, two more in 1857, 

 and three more in 1858, This enabled us to thresh all the grain by November, 

 did away with the necessity of thatching, and was estimated to save one-fourth. 



There being no stone, and bricks being very expensive, the cottages and 

 buildings were constructed of stamped earth, and roofed with wooden tiles. . 



The accompanying Plan shows the various sections, each of which is sub- 

 jected to a special rotation, and the positions of the main buildings and roads. 



Lessons to the English Agriculturist. 



It seems only reasonable to ask if there are any agricultural 

 practices followed in Hungary which might be adopted in our 

 own country with advantage ; and also if we have any processes 

 or products which might still further develope the agriculture of 

 Hungary. 



With reference to the first point, there is little for the Eng- 

 lishman to learn from Hungarian farming. It is so simple, 

 and so trammelled by difficulties of climate, that, as has already 

 been pointed out, English farming is far before it, both in inten- 

 sity and in the variety of its objects and methods. j\ evertheless, 

 it is a valuable lesson to see hundreds of thousands of acres all 

 under a central management, since it demonstrates the practi- 

 cability of what might at first sight appear impracticable. The 

 system surrounding and controlling everything upon a Hungarian 

 estate, and enabling the stewards to supply precise information 

 upon any point required, astonished me. The area of the estate 

 under arable, pasture, or wood was always given exactly, to the 

 smallest fraction of an acre, and the amounts of food consumed 

 by stock, and the increase in weight for food consumed were 

 accurately known. 



The esteem in Avhich systematic agricultural education is held 

 is also very worthy of attention. 



The pains taken to increase and improve the horse-stock of 

 the country is a point which is likely to create interest at the 

 present time. The hope, which appears, indeed, to have been 

 realised in Mezohegyes, of producing a fixed or Constant race 

 of high blood-horses capable of breeding inter se, without the 

 further introduction of thorough-bred blood, is worthy of the 

 attention of English breeders. 



In rural practice, the making of sour-hay (see page 351) might 

 be introduced with success into England. 



In other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire it was inter- 

 esting to notice the pains taken in breeding live stock. Take, 

 for instance, the record of successful sheep breeding at Keltschan, 



