1074 



Land Settlement in Denmark. 



[FEB., 



The system of tethering stock is prompted by the belief 

 prevalent in Denmark, and supported, it may be remarked, by 

 experiments in Ireland, that more feed is obtained by allowing 

 grass in any given pasture periods, here and there, of uninter- 

 rupted growth than by grazing continually over the whole 

 extent. It is admitted that the milk yield begins to drop when 

 the flowering stage is reached and at the same time more of 

 the grass is wasted. To reduce waste, small holders sometimes 

 bring their cows in about midsummer and feed the grass in the 

 stalls. 



Where tethering is practised, the bulk of the grass becomes 

 well estabhshed before the dry weather sets in and is thus able 

 to hold its own even during a spell of drought. So much are 

 the effects of drought feared that farmers hesitate to cut their 

 hay before the drought has broken, and an aftermath is 

 assured. 



Lucerne is less grown than might be expected, and winter 

 beans are not cultivated at all. Intensive cultivation in the 

 form of continuous cropping is unknown, and as regards 

 rotations, generallj^ it is doubtful if Denmark can teach us 

 much. 



6. Returns. — We were unable to examine actual balance 

 sheets, but the small holders freely disclosed, so far as they 

 were able, their financial condition. One holding of ii acres cost, 

 twelve years ago, 500 kroner per tondeland (£20 14s. per acre), 

 buildings cost 4,000 kroner {£22^) ; 6,300 kroner (£354 ys. 6d.) 

 are still owing. In the case of a holding of 13 J acres the land 

 cost 600 kroner per tondeland (£25 per acre), buildings cost 

 5,500 kroner (£309 ys. 6d.). The holder is paying interest on 

 6,700 kroner (£376 17s. 6d.). In another case 12,500 kroner 

 (£703 2s. 6d.) were paid for a holding of 11 acres, five years 

 ago. This included land, buildings and equipment.- About five- 

 sixths of this is still owing. Another paid 10,000 kroner 

 (£562 los.) for an ii-acre holding six years ago, and still owed 

 seven-tenths of the amount. 



One holder transferred in 191 8 to a bigger holding (11 acres) 

 for which the full purchase price was 22,000 kroner (£1,237 10 5-) i 

 of this amount he paid down 13,000 kroner (£731 5s.). This 

 small holder expressed the opinion that the would-be purchaser 

 should possess not less than one-third of the total purchase 

 price. 



The general impression conveyed was that the small holders 

 were making a comfortable living and had not much anxiety 



