Denmark, Sweden, and Rtmia. 
201 
favourable seasons, but that a sense of the importance of agriculture lias 
been gradually growing in the minds of all classes, so that applications 
have been made to the government from various provinces for the esta- 
blishment of additional schools, in which the various branches of know- 
ledge now deemed of importance to the practical farmer may be made 
more generally accessible. The tilling of tlie soil is no longer considered 
as an occupation with which none ouglit to concern themselves but those 
who live by their daily toil, but as a field ralher in which the man of 
science, the landowner, and the practical farmer mat/ labour together, 
and from the hidden treasures of which the union of science, experience, 
and skill may extract an ample reward for the labour of each. A new 
career is thus opened up for the landowner, in the prosecution of which 
old opinions and prejudices, and the fear of loss from the adoption of 
new methods, will cjradw.dly die awai/ ; for it in certain that, the more 
agriculture can call to her aid the stores of existing knowledge and 
etperience, the more rapid must he the progress of her future develop- 
ment,'^ 
He then proceeds to state that, for purposes connected with the 
draining of marshes, the division of commons, and the consolida- 
tion of holdings, the government had expended in 1838 the sum 
of 174,000 dollars, and, in 1839, 178,000 dollars (about IO,OOOZ. 
sterling). I select a few other particulars upon which the na- 
tional money was expended in each year : — 
183S. Dolls. 1839. T>j\U. 
For improving (he breed of horses 4000 Assessor Plageniau's salary . . 1000 
In aid of the Agricultural Institu- For improving the breed of horses 4000 
tion at Degcberg 5000 In aid of the Agricultural School 
For lowering the lake Asnen, in ^ at Uegeberg . ... • • 5000 
Southern Sweden . . . . 2333 Special aid to same school . .1000 
Special aid of the Degeberg School 1000 Salary ol the Lnglish agriculturist 
To Assessor Plageman for instruct- Stephens . . . . . . . liOO 
ing the common people in North Premium for an improved method 
and West Bothnia in subsidiary of drying uiithrashed seed-corr. . 5000 
occupations suited to their climate 1000 Premium lor a method of drying 
To the English (Scottish) Agrl- thrashed grain ..... 30 JO 
culturist Stephens, for travelling experiments in preparing sugar 
through the country and giving : ' ' ' 
instruction in various departments For lowering tlie lake Asnen . . 2000 
of practical agriculture . • . 1200 
The few items above selected show clearly enough the kind of 
objects which the Swedish government consider worthy of encou- 
ragement, and the enlightened and comprehensive views they en- 
tertain in regard to the improvement of the national agriculture. 
Much larger sums were voted at the last parliament for the esta- 
blishment of agricultural schools, as I sliall mention hereafter 
more particularly. 
The manufacture of iron forms in Sweden an important branch 
of national industry, and for many years public attention has been 
drawn to the yearly diminishing or more difficultly attainable 
supply of the wood by which it is smelted. The injudicious and 
