22 



Baden passed under the jurisdiction of the imperial law in 

 1887, but the rate was several times increased after 1837. 

 The number of distilleries at different times numbered as fol- 

 lows : 1829, 20,000; 1849, 22,111; 1862, 22,882; 1870, 

 26,505; 1876,26,59(5; 1880,28,498; 1886, 28,260. 1 These 

 numbers do not indicate those in operation, which were prob- 

 ably a great many less. The product is also very uncertain.. 

 The official estimates for several years Avere as follows : 1872, 

 11,805 hectoliters; 1874, 10,065: 1876, 63,526; 1878, 37,040. 

 Wolf estimated the amounts as follows: 1874, 35,000 hi.; 

 1875, 80,000; 1876, 83,000; 1877, 55,025. The great varia- 

 tions were caused by the fruit and wine crops. The product 

 did not cover the demand and great amounts were imported, 

 usually double the estimated production. 

 III. The Present Industry. 



a. Introduction. 



We have now brought our description of distilling in the 

 different parts of Germany down to 1887, in which year the 

 imperial tax system was extended over all the States. From 

 this time on we are able to consider the industry as a whole 

 with similar taxation and similar statistical data, and from 

 1887 we may date the present industry. In the following 

 pages we will attempt to describe some features of distilling 

 as it was in 1899, bringing out the changes that have taken 

 place within recent years and also the tendencies of the indus- 

 try, wherever this seems feasible. 



b. Number of Distilleries. 



On the 30th of September, 1899, there were in all parts of 

 the Empire 88,582 distilleries of various kinds, and during 

 the fiscal year 60,926 of them were in operation for a part or 

 the whole of the time. The number has diminished slightly 

 since 1887, when it was 90,899. The number operated shows- 

 great variations, largely occasioned by the fruit crops upon 

 which so many of the small stills depend. In 1887 it was 

 48,415, while in the next year it rose to 65,652, only to sink 



1. Statist Jahrb. fuer das Ght. Baden and Monatshefte zur Statistik, Etc. 



