126 TEN YEAKS IN SWEDEN. 



swer which I received from a peasant when discussing 

 labour in general with him. He observed that formerly it 

 was capital to work for a gentleman on his farm, but now 

 they had all got those inspectors from the schools, and a 

 labourer was obliged to do a good day's work, where formerly 

 he worked pretty well as he pleased. Moreover, the pea- 

 sants in the neighbourhood have an opportunity of seeing 

 how the school is managed, and although they are very hard 

 to turn out of their old ways, they in a certain degree 

 endeavour to imitate the better example which is set them. 

 The director also receives into his house a certain number of 

 gentlemen pupils, who pay 600 rqr. (or above 35) a 

 year for their board. (What would Mr. H. Overman say 

 to this ?) 



Many young Swedes go over yearly to Scotland for a 

 year or two to learn the practical part of the business, and 

 come back well fitted for overseers. They have a curious 

 idea in Sweden, that England itself is not an agricultural 

 country, and that we are much dependent upon Scotland for 

 our produce. 



There are farming societies in every district, and there 

 is a staff of professors who are paid by the head farming 

 society at Stockholm, to go round the country and give 

 instruction where they are needed, in the different branches 

 of science. Thus, if I want to drain a moss, to improve my 

 flock of sheep or cattle, or to stock my fish-pond, I 

 have only to give notice to the board at Stockholm, and 

 down comes a professor to tell me what I should do. There 

 are also Government establishments in different parts, where 

 horses, cows, and sheep, are stationed to improve the 

 breed. 



In fact I do not believe any other country can be trying 

 more, according to its means, to put its agricultural pros- 

 pects on a better footing ; and as it is only within the last 

 twenty years, that the landed proprietors appear to Lave 

 begun to stir themselves on this important subject, and we 

 have already seen the good results of their endeavours, I 

 do not despair but that in a few years agriculture in Sweden 



