Agricultural Administration in Austria-Hungary, 6E7 
The Ministries of Agriculture. 
All questions connected with the land and its cultivation 
?ome under the cognisance of the central Ministries of Agricul- 
ure, the functions of which, as the chief agencies for agricul- 
ural improvements in the Empire, must now be described. 
As in all other departments of State, except those for Foreign 
Affairs, War, aud General Finances, there are separate Ministries 
of Agriculture for Austria and Hungary, at Vienna and Buda- 
Pesth respectively. 
The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture. 
The first Ministry of Agriculture in Austria was established 
on November 19, 1849 ; but it was afterwards dissolved, and in 
1853 its duties were transferred partly to the Ministry of 
the Interior, and partly to the Ministry of Finance. In 1861 
the Ministry of Commerce was charged with the supervision 
of agricultural interests ; but this only lasted till December 
30, 1867, when an Imperial Rescript ordered the formation 
of a Ministry of Agriculture, with the object of " furthering the 
. agricultural interests of the Empire." The duties of the new 
department were defined generally to be : " The superintendence 
of all matters relating to the different branches of the cultiva- 
tion of the land, such as agriculture, forestry, viticulture, 
, fruit and silk-culture, and the rearing of live-stock and 
bees ; the regulation of agricultural and rural education ; the 
. supervision of agricultural societies and institutions ; and the 
general superintendence of mines and mining regulations. ; " 1 
In the course of the first year of the existence of the Ministry, 
the control of the State Horse-breeding Establishment at 
Radautz was transferred to it from the Ministry of War. 
On January 1, 1869, the superintendence of all matters 
connected with the chase, field police, and fisheries was also 
transferred from the Ministry of the Interior, which later in 
I the same year parted with its control over the transfer and 
division of land to the new department. In 1872 further im- 
portant additions were made to its duties by the transfer from 
i the Ministry of Finance of the superintendence of the Crown 
■ forests, estates, and mines (except the saltworks — a very im- 
1 Jahresbericht dcs K.K. Aclterbau-Ministcriums iibcr die Mnssregeln und 
Arbeiten zur Forderuny dcs Landescultur in den vm Rcichsruthe rcrtrctenen 
Konigreichen und Ldndern fiir 18G8 (page 3). 
