Sept. 1895.] AGKICULTURAL DEPRESSION IN GERMANY. 



147 



unnecessarily high price of land, to the heavy mortgages which 

 have been placed upon it, and to the extravagant mode of life of 

 the landed proprietors. 



The fairest and most impartial observers are of opinion that, 

 taking the question of corn-growing as a whole, and putting aside 

 extreme cases, whether favourable or unfavourable, it must be 

 admitted that the majority of landowners and farmers are unable 

 to carry on this principal branch of German agriculture at a 

 profit while the present prices continue. It should not be 

 forgotten, however, that a short time ago prices were double what 

 they are now, and that the average for a period of 10 years, say, 

 from 1883 to 1893, ought not to show a balance on the wrong 

 side. 



In spite of the depression of 1885 to 1887, and of the present 

 time, no great change has taken place in the areas under wheat 

 and rye cultivation. In a country like Germany, where agri- 

 culture is for the most part carried on by traditional methods, 

 changes of this kind are necessarily slow, especially as in the 

 greater portion of the northern plains neither climate nor soil 

 are favourable to the conversion of arable into grass land. 



Planting has not taken place to any great extent of late years 

 in German}^, and where it has it has consisted mostly in 

 afforesting waste lands, or in replanting recent clearings. 



The forests in private hands show a decrease ; it may be 

 assumed, therefore, that agriculturists have not as yet sought 

 relief in this direction. 



The severe depression in agriculture is too recent to have 

 brought about extensive changes in the relative areas of arable 

 grass and woodland ; its real results in this respect will not be 

 seen till much later. 



In the many proposals made by agriculturists and others for 

 meeting the existing depression, no mention is made of changes 

 in cultivation. In individual cases such changes are no doubt 

 occasionally made, but on an extensive scale there is no question 

 of it, the agriculturists apparently fixing all their hopes upon 

 legislative measures which will raise the price of grain and so 

 relieve their distress. 



The Agrarian party propose two far-reaching measures for 

 their relief — the State monopoly of the import of grain and 

 bimetallism. The Government, on the other hand, propose a 

 number of small palliative measures, such as the construction 

 of canals and light railways, a law for preventing gambling 

 on the corn exchanges, cattle disease regulations, remission of 

 land tax, &c. 



As Count Kanitz's proposal has been finally disposed of by 

 a resolution of the Council of State, it is not likely that the 

 far more difficult suggestion of a State monopoly of the pro- 

 duction of bread, which has been proposed by several writers, 

 will be seriously brought forward. It has the advantage, 

 however, of considering the interests both of producers and 

 consumers in the bread question. 



