Large and Small Farms in Prussia. 



5i 



483 farms and comprising 20,000 workpeople, a table is 

 extracted showing that the average wages of a hind in Silesia 

 amount to £20 7s. in money, and kind to the value of £$. As, 

 according to Brossling, the average earnings of the hind's wife 

 are £5 10s., and that of the children of the family £2 10s. to £5, 

 the total income of the hind and his family, including the value 

 of the kind, is £^-£42. 



The Chamber of Agriculture's comparison shows that a much 

 larger proportion of the wages is paid in kind on small than on 

 large farms. The following, which is an account of the annual 

 wages of the foreman (" Hofmeister ") on a large farm of 2,050 

 acres, illustrates the variety and value of kind paid : Cash, 

 £9 ; corn, value £11 10s. ; 2 sheep, value 30s. ; 2 litres of milk 

 daily, value 58s. ; peat fuel, value 15s. ; potato-land and manure, 

 value £4 10s. ; wood, value 15s.; butter, value 52s.; straw, 

 value 3s. ; and house, value £3. In this particular case of a 

 total wage value ^33 13s., only £9 — less than one-third — is 

 paid in cash ; and the result of Brossling's researches in Silesia 

 showed that on the average from half to two-thirds of the wages of 

 farm-servants in that province are paid in kind. 



According to Conrad,* the exceedingly low wages of the farm- 

 servants in Germany are in a very large measure due to the 

 fact that most of them are themselves farmers — owners and 

 occupiers — of small holdings. In Germany, as will be seen from 

 the first table in this article, there are more than three million 

 holdings of under 5 acres. Their own holding neither fully 

 occupies their time nor yet returns enough to maintain them, 

 and they must therefore have other work ; and, further, and 

 this is the important point, work in close proximity to their 

 own holdings. The result is that they are compelled to work 

 for the neighbouring large Tanner at practically whatever wage 

 he chooses to offer. 



Other points brought to light or confirmed by the inquiry are 

 that on small farms : — 



1. There is less depreciation and risk on horses. This is 

 because on small farms the horses are fed, groomed, and worked 

 by their owner. The usual allowance for depreciation and risk 



Grundriss zum Studium der politischen Oekonomie, Jena, 1902. 



