34 



of the value of land, if correct, in the maritime pro- 

 vinces, cannot be extended to the other parts of the 

 Prussian dominions, where both the soil and climate 

 are far more favourable to production. It is well 

 known in England, that under a great depression in 

 the price of Corn, the poorer lands suffer a much 

 greater proportionate depreciation, in their sale price, 

 than the more fertile soils. It is not then extraordi- 

 nary, that the landed property of these maritime pro- 

 vinces should be reduced to the low value which is 

 here represented. 



This tract of land forming the maritime provinces 

 of Prussia, is a portion of that vast sandy plain which 

 extends from the shores of Holland to the extremity 

 of Asiatic Russia. It has scarcely any elevations 

 that merit the title of hills, and, where not covered 

 with woods, spreads out in open fields of great extent. 

 The soil in some places is barren sand, occasionally 

 with no appearance of vegetation ; in many parts 

 with no attempt at cultivation, and what is culti- 

 vated appearing to yield but scanty returns. The 

 land is too poor to yield even middling crops, with- 

 out manure ; and the portion of cattle of all kinds is 

 too small to create such a quantity of that necessary 

 ingredient in husbandry, as to keep the land up to 

 its present low standard of fertility. 



According to the official documents, which I col- 

 lected, it appears that the three maritime provinces 

 of East Prussia, West Prussia, and Pomerania, in- 

 cluding in the latter the late Swedish territory,' con- 

 tain about 25,500,000 acres, or more than half the 

 extent of England. By an official account, made up 

 in 1821, the Stock of Cattle appeared to be as fol- 

 lows, at the latter end of the year 1819 ; viz. 



556,839 Horses and Colts. 

 1,171,434 Oxen, Cows, and Calves. 

 2,049,801 Sheep and Lambs, and, 



617,310 Swine. 



