216 RURAL DENMARK 



wish to make a few general remarks upon the Danish 

 land system. In the old days Denmark was divided 

 into large estates, and the small-owner was, so to 

 speak, nowhere. But more than a hundred years 

 ago, in 1787 to be accurate, the matter was inquired 

 into by a Royal Commission, as a result of which 

 inquiry a plan was inaugurated of leasing farms to 

 peasants. Subsequently sundry laws were enacted, 

 all with the object of breaking up the feudal system 

 and bringing the land of the country into the hands 

 of the people. Thus in 1848 it was made illegal to 

 continue to entail estates. Also Acts were passed, 

 of which I believe the first dates from the sixteenth 

 century, under which field may not be laid to field, 

 or rather farm to farm. Further, the local law of 

 inheritance seems to favour the division of lands on 

 the death of their owner. 



A Danish lawyer has kindly furnished me with a 

 summary of the existing law of that country upon 

 the matter of the devolution of real property. It 

 seems that there an owner of land may by special testa- 

 mentary disposition designate which of his children is 

 to inherit his farm and live stock, and appoint the sum 

 to be paid out in compensation to the co-heirs who are 

 thus deprived of their share of the real property. This 

 sum may be fixed by the testator at considerably less 

 than the true value of the estate, but as by law it 

 must be " a moderate and reasonable compensation," 

 it cannot be fixed at nothing or at a trifling figure. 



Special regulations exist, however, as to the 

 willing of "Saedegaarde," that is " privileged manors" 

 which in the year 1660 were in the possession of 

 members of the nobility, and included u lease farms " 

 to an extent of at least 200 tonde " hartkorn." 



