366 Report on the Agriculture of Denmark^ with a Note on 
outcome of the fact that the marshes, which produce such won- 
derful pasture, are below the water-level. It is also true that 
the land bordering streams cannot grow corn, as it is water- 
logged ; but drainage, like turnip-husbandry and alternate 
cropping, has still to be introduced to the bulk of the farmers 
of Schleswig and Holstein. Anyhow, it is exceedingly curious 
to see the margins of streams and the very bottoms of vallevs 
clothed with grass for a few yards or so at the sides of each 
brook or rivulet, the steeper the bank the narrower the fringe, 
and vice versa. These strips of grass with meandering boun- 
daries are immediately succeeded by arable land without anv 
intervening fence. 
That grass will grow at higher levels, in Holstein as else- 
where, has been proved by ^Ir. Berndes, of Lammershagen, who 
farms 1600 acres, 200 of which he has laid down in permanent 
pasture. This seeded land is in two pieces, of the ordinary un- 
dulatory character of the country ; one piece, when I saw it in 
1874, had been down four years, and had been liberally treated 
with liquid manure ; it seemed a marked success, and the other 
piece bid fair to be equally good if encouraged by putting 
cake-eating fattening animals upon it. 
The ordinary farms of the country are about 100 acres in 
extent, and the rent averages about 10s. per acre. The farmers 
keep as many cattle as they estimate that their spring-corn will 
feed during the winter (after making due allowance for the oats 
required for the horses). Thus, only the wheat, the dairy pro- 
ducts, and the cast-cows are sold off the farm, as the calves not 
reared are generally consumed by the labourers and the farmer's 
family. Sheep are not kept on ordinary farms, but there are 
shepherds who keep a breeding flock of the native sheep. Little 
or no land is either possessed or rented by them ; but they make 
arrangements with farmers for the sheep to run over the bare 
fallow and stubbles. I was unable to ascertain anything like an 
average price for this grazing, as the whole thing is a matter of 
bargain as to money-pa vment, number of sheep, length of time, 
&c. ; but there can be no doubt about one thing, that the more 
foul the land is, the more money for its use will the farmer 
obtain. 
Mr. Berndes keeps 350 ewes. They were originally of the 
native breed ; but for some few years have been crossed with 
Shropshire rams, chiefly from the flf)cks of Lord Chesham, Mr. 
Mansel, and Mr. J. Evans, of Uffington. From the last-named 
breeder Mr. Berndes has also obtained fifteen ewes, so as to 
enable him to breed a few rams. To improve his flock as 
rapidly as possible, he has been putting into it all the best ewe 
lambs, and selling out the inferior ewes having a smaller pro- 
