NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 103 



affairs, an eftate is come to be divided into feveral pails, three or 

 four families now procure a comfortable fupport from a farm, 

 which before was a iubfiftence only for one *. This has encou- 

 raged a diligent enquiry after fpots of ground proper for fowing; 

 ftones begin to be removed, fens and moraiTes are drained by 

 trenches, which are here called Veiter f, for carrying off the 

 water, and are ufed in the newly cultivated grounds in many 

 places, tranfverfally, underneath them, an ell or two deep in 

 the ground, where they are covered with earth, and lined with 

 ftones. The peafants are likewife improved in their knowlege of 

 manures, and diligence in the ufe of them, fuch as fern and other 

 large weeds, heath or mofs, fea-grafs, and other fea vegetables, 

 likewife a kind of reddifli earth, all which hath in many places 

 had the good effect of enriching the worft and moft unprcmifing 

 lands. With refpect. to this fignal increafe and advancement of 

 agriculture in this century, Mr. Peter Schrceder, fuperintendant 

 and minifter of Karmen, in the diocefe of Chriftianfand in a let- 

 ter to me, among other things, mentions the following particulars; 

 " the advantages this country has received from the indefatigable 

 application of the inhabitants, within thefe forty or fifty years, in 

 the improvement and augmentation of their arable lands, is be- 

 yond credit. Heretofore the farmer, who by his yearly tillage 

 could fupport his family till Chriftmas, was accounted a notable 

 man and in good circumftances, whereas now> in thofe years, 

 when God does not punifh the land with any remarkable fcarci- 

 ty, the inhabitants throughout this diftrict, are, from their own 

 grounds, not only plentifully provided with malt, barley and oats, 

 throughout the whole year; but fend fome hundred tuns to mar- 

 ket to Bergen, Hardanger, and Stavanger, &c." In another letter 

 this gentleman, who is well experienced in hufbandry, commu- 

 nicates to me, at my requeft, fome obfervations on the proper 

 application of the feveral kinds of manure to the quality of foils, 



* Even in this Diocefe, where we have but little room for tillage, large farms are 

 parcelled out to feveral farmers, and from the number of houfes make the appear- 

 ance of no mean village ; Oppedal, for inftance, an eftate in the parifh of Knitzerviig 

 in Hardanger, which in the land-tax is afTeffed at 12 lobers of corn, that is 24 tuns; 

 maintains 16 families, and thefe, according to the report of the minifter, confift of 

 130 fouls. 



■f An experienced countryman, told me, that, by introducing thefe veiters in his 

 lands, he had doubled their produce. 



Part I. E e which 



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