WHAT MIGHT BE AND WHAT IS 



I have now reached the end of my review of the 

 present state of Danish agriculture so far as I have 

 been able to ascertain its conditions by personal 

 inspection and inquiry. Also I have tried to indicate 

 by contrast in what particular ways it differs from 

 that which we know at home. Perhaps it may prove 

 amusing if not useful if I attempt very briefly, as a 

 conclusion to my book, to work out this contrast by 

 the help of a fanciful example. 



Let us suppose that a few generations ago a new 

 Danish invasion of England had taken place, and that 

 the East Anglian and some adjoining counties had been 

 repopulated or were dominated by Danes, as happened 

 in the days of King Canute. In that event what would 

 be the agricultural condition of those counties at the 

 present time ? I think somewhat as follows : 



By the working of the Danish laws of inheritance 

 and of the general customs and instincts of that 

 people the large estates would be broken up into 

 much smaller holdings, except here and there where 

 some great landowner of the type of Mr. Tesdorpf 

 farmed an extensive property. All the fen and other 

 suitable lands would be divided among a multitude of 

 little freeholders, or perhaps of State tenants holding 

 under a perpetual lease. In every country town would 

 be seen the tall chimneys of the butter, sugar-beet 

 and bacon factories, and in every city great co-opera- 

 tive milk-distributing companies would be established. 



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