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XV. — Extracts from the Report on the Arpimltural Exhibition 

 at Aarhuus {Denmark). By John Wilson, Professor of 

 Agriculture in the University of Edinburgh. 



Equivalents of Danish Weights and Measures referred to. 



Square mile is nearly = 22' square miles (English) 



Tcinde (metrical) = 3*8272 bushels ,, 



,, (superficial) = 1"363 acres ,, 



Foot (fod) = 1-0298 feet ,, 



Inch = 1-0298 incli ,, 



Pound = 1-1024 lbs. ,, 



Pot (fluid) =1-1 758 quarts 



Eigs-daler (96 skillings) = 2-243 shillings ,, 



Rigs-daler per Tonde-land = 1 - 6456 shillings per acre , , 



DenmaKK, which now comprises only Jutland and the Danish 

 isles, is, comparatively speaking, so little known, and its agricul- 

 tural system possesses features so different from our own, that a 

 short sketch of its principal physical and economic features and 

 of its productions is a necessary introduction to the Report which 

 I have now to submit upon its great agricultural meeting. 



The surface area of Denmark extends over 667tV square miles 

 (Danish), or 6,866,061 Danish Tonder-land. The population, 

 according to the last census returns (Feb. 1st, 1860), amounted 

 to 1,600,551 persons, of which number 737,204, or 45*43 per 

 cent., were engaged in agricultural pursuits.* 



The character or rather quality of the soil is expressed by an 

 arbitrary standard of comparison peculiar to Denmark, to which 

 we have nothing analogous in our own country nor in the other 

 countries of Western Europe. This I will now endeavour to 

 explain. 



From a very early period in Danish history the different grain 

 crops cultivated in the country were divided into " hard corn " 

 and " soft corn." Barley and rye represented the first, and oats 

 the second ; wheat at that period was not known as a farm crop. 

 As the land was held by different proprietors in differing quan- 

 tities, and differed itself in quality, it was thought advisable, in 

 1656, to define their qualities and values by some fixed and 

 readily recognized standard, and all rents and imposts on the 

 lands were reduced into their estimated equivalents of " llart- 

 korn" (hard corn). The Amtmann of the district summoned 

 meetings of the principal proprietors and of those qualified to 

 assist in such an investigation, the quality of the land was deter- 



* ' Statistisk Udsigt over Danmarks Landbrug.' Kjobenhavn, 18G6. 



