1905.] Cattle-Breeding in Germany. 407 



in Germany is the distribution relatively to the size of the 

 farms. This is shown in the following table for the year 1892, 

 and it is probable that the relative proportions have not 

 materially altered since that date : — 



Size of Holding. 



No. of Holdings 



Cattle per 100 

 Acres. 



Total Number of 

 Cattle. 



Under 5 acres ... 

 From 5 to 12 J acres 

 From I2g to 50 acres ... 

 From 50 to 250 acres ... 

 250 acres and over 



3,237,030 

 1,016,318 

 998,804 

 281,767 

 25,061 



32 

 34 

 26 



19 

 10 



I4I5'239 

 2,802,900 

 6,227,233 

 4,650,993 

 1,957,277 



From these figures it will be seen that cattle are an important 

 factor on the small holdings of Germany, 60 per cent, of the 

 total being kept on farms under fifty acres. To this fact is 

 probably due the active interest which is so generally taken in 

 the industry by the Governments of all the German States. 

 The Imperial Government, it may be noted, takes no direct 

 action, but help both by grants of money and otherwise is given 

 by the authorities of the individual States to societies within 

 their areas. In the kingdom of Prussia, which may be taken 

 as an example, the action of the State is chiefly confined to 

 giving subventions to the Agricultural Chambers. The pur- 

 poses to which these grants may be devoted are premiums or 

 prizes at shows ; encouragement of special breeds by main- 

 taining bulls, assisting breeding societies, &c. ; prizes for 

 improved cattle steadings, and the rational care and manage- 

 ment of cattle ; assistance to herd -book societies and the 

 encouragement of dairying. 



The purposes to which the State funds of Prussia were 

 devoted in 1903 were as follows : — * 



I 



Improvement of cattle-breeding in general ... ... ... I5'^35 



Bull and boar stations ... ... ... ... ... ... 7,93° 



Cattle markets and shows ... ... ... ... .. I>205 



Dairying, dairy instruction and dairy experiment stations... 6,599 

 Instructors in cattle-breeding ... ... ... ... ... 1,835 



Herd-book societies ... ... .. ... ... .. 305 



Pig, sheep and goat-breeding ... ... ... ... ... 4,94° 



Various objects connected with cattle-breeding ... ... 5,236 



Total 43,945 



* Landwirtschaftliche Yahrbucher, 1904. Yol. XXXIII., Supp. II. 



