176 RURAL DENMARK 



That the country seems to be in a good financial 

 state is indicated by the fact (here I quote from 

 Whitaker s Almanack, as it gives the figures in 

 English pounds sterling) that in the year 1908-9 the 

 revenue amounted to ,5,228,036 and the expenditure 

 to ,5,288,507, which shows an excess of about 60,000 

 of expenditure over revenue not a large one when 

 compared with that of many other countries. Also 

 it must be remembered that whereas in the year 1907 

 the Public Debt amounted to 14,329,544, in the 

 year 1908 it had been reduced by ,111,033, which 

 more than balances the slight excess of expenditure 

 over revenue. It would seem, therefore, that this 

 large export of agricultural produce is not attained 

 by means of any reckless domestic expenditure. 



To return to the point from which I started : the 

 inference appears to be that the position of Danish 

 agriculture is eminently and increasingly good, so far 

 as can be judged from an examination of the national 

 resources. It remains to be considered whether the 

 farmers who between them store up all this agricul- 

 tural honey (which we eat) are or are not really 

 prosperous. 



Certainly to the eye of the observant traveller they 

 show every sign of prosperity. All over the country 

 he sees their herds of cattle, and the new houses and 

 steadings that have recently been or are in the course 

 of being erected. Inquiry does not tell him that an 

 undue proportion of them fail ; indeed, although this 

 may have been accidental, except in the case of a few 

 State small-holders I heard of no agricultural bank- 

 ruptcy while I was in Denmark. It would seem that 

 they and their children, and their farm-servants who 

 board with them, live well, as their healthy appearance 



