1920.] Impressions of a Danish Small Holding. 



53 



Of the 250,000 landed properties in Denmark, 46,600 com- 

 prise only from 12 to 35 acres, and 133,600 less than 12 acres. 

 An interesting but surprising fact is the statement made to the 

 delegates that practically none of these farms or small holdings 

 was farmed or managed by women, although all the facilities 

 granted by the Danish Government to the people have been 

 from the beginning offered on equal terms to women as well as 

 to men. The only cases of women small holders were found 

 to be those where the widows of small holders had carried on the 

 farm after the death of the husband. In reply to inquiries on 

 this matter, the answer was that there were sufficient men in 

 Denmark to do the farming without the aid of women, and the 

 impression made was that at the present time the conditions 

 and prejudices prevailing with regard to women farmers were 

 very much the same as those which existed in this country at 

 the commencement of the War. It is difficult to understand 

 why this should have been so, as to work a small holding on 

 Danish lines presented nothing that two skilled women (exclusive 

 of any housework) could not advantageously undertake, 

 without having recourse to paid labour, except at busy times. 



The farms visited by the delegates were situated in the 

 neighbourhood of Ringsted, Odense and Copenhagen, and a 

 few of the members of the party had the opportunity of 

 inspecting also some of the small holdings in Jutland. 



The areas of these farms varied from 3 to 80 acres (the latter 

 area constituting a large farm in Denmark), but the most usual 

 size of those selected for inspection was from 8 to 12 acres, 

 except in the case of Jutland, where the land was so poor that 

 at least 30 acres are necessary in order to make a living. 



The life and conditions of work of the small holder generally 

 can, perhaps, be best understood by taking from amongst the 

 farms visited a representative holding of 12 acres, typical of 

 the others of a similar nature. This small holding was one of 

 about 17 others in the district of Ringsted, and as the owner 

 had been in America for a considerable time, it was possible to 

 converse with him more freely and satisfactorily than could 

 be done where one was dependent for intercourse upon the 

 services of an interpreter. As already stated, the holding 

 consisted of 12 acres (8 J Danish tondeland). The owner told 

 us that he had been in occupation of it for 13 years, and that the 

 price of the land and the cost of buildings and equipment at 

 entry was 22,000 kroners (about £1,237*), towards which he 



* Figures represent normal rate of exchange. 



