88 AGRICULTURE OX THE RHINE. 



with the " knecht," cr servant, and with the '• magd, " 

 or servant girl. 



"We are here far from wishing- to represent the " dorf " 

 as a pattern of rustic institutions, but we would recom- 

 mend the study of these village corporations to inquiring 

 travellers, as containing many elements of good, and, above 

 all, as fostering independence of feeling and openness of 

 character, both invaluable qualities in a people. 



The village or common property comprises woodland 

 as well as grazing-land, and, as has been said, frequently 

 includes watercourses, public places and buildings, as well 

 as money invested in the public funds. The revenue de- 

 rived from all these sources is applied, as far as it goes, in 

 alleviation of parochial and county taxation. From this 

 fund the few poor persons that become chargeable are 

 supported. We have been told of parishes where the 

 members of the village corporation receive a dividend out 

 of the common property. To obtain admittance to the 

 rights of a villager a stranger must pay a certain sum, 

 which is large or small according to the wealth of the 

 corporation. He then enjoys the grazing and fuel rights, 

 and the modification in taxation which the annual revenue 

 procures. In the Rhenish districts the fee on admittance 

 is high when compared with Central Germany. It is, 

 we believe, highest in Rhenish Bavaria, where, in some 

 villages, it amounts to 1500 florins, or 120/. 



The various official personages of the village, such as 

 the field-police, the cow, swine, and goose herd, the 

 schoolmaster, the headborough and his officer or bailiff, 

 receive their salaries from this fund, out of which, too, 

 all public expenses, where it suffices, are defrayed. The 

 church has generally its own foundation. 



