1920.] 



Agriculture Abroad. 



85 



AGRICULTURE ABROAD. 



Reclaiming Heath Land in Denmark— Settling 

 Kx- Service Men in Xew South Wales — 

 Improving Grass Land in Bavaria. 



The wave of patriotic feeling which swept over Denmark 

 after the disastrous war of 1864, when North Schleswig passed 

 into the hands of Germany, was the 

 The Danish Heath primary cause of the formation of the 



0C1G 7 * Danish Heath Society. Through the 



initiative of Colonel E. M. Dalgas a scheme was prepared 

 in 1866 for the reclamation of the uncultivated land in Jutland. 

 Thousands of people came forward to support the scheme, 

 and subscriptions and donations were given by many communal 

 authorities, saving banks, joint stock companies, and other 

 bodies. Subsequently the Danish Government recognised in a 

 practical manner the valuable work done by the Society, and 

 since 1885 State grants have been made towards the cost 

 of making plantations. The Society has become an agent 

 of the State, and large sums of public money are administered 

 by it. In 1918 State grants amounted to 2,102,856 kr. (about 

 £115,657), whilst subscriptions from members, who now number 

 9,416, amounted to 47,991 kr. (about £2,640). 



The object of the Society is to encourage the cultivation 

 of heath land in Denmark, and although this has been done 

 mainly by instruction, the Society has also embarked directly 

 on many and varied projects. The first and most important 

 was the acquisition of land on its own behalf. Wherever 

 possible this land was prepared and cultivated with ordinary 

 farm crops, but poor land was utilised for the laying out of 

 plantations. Marshes were drained ; dry land was irrigated ; 

 marl pits were opened in order to provide a plentiful supply 

 of marl and lime for improving the soil ; and the transport 

 necessary for the opening up of large areas was provided by 

 the construction of light railways. Later still came the 

 distribution of young plants, at cheap rates, to small holders 

 and farmers. 



The Society's field of action, formerly confined to Jutland, 

 now extends over the whole of Denmark. In Jutland alone 

 there existed in i860 an area of about 2,900 square miles of 

 uncultivated land, either heath or marsh. This area has now 

 been reduced by more than one-half, mainly owing to the work 

 of the Society, though the Danish Government has assisted 

 by the laying out of State plantations. 



