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XV^I. — Report upon the Past and Present State of the Agriculture 
of the Danish Monarchy ; its Products, with Comparative Tables 
<lf Exports. By Harry Rainals, British Vice-Consiil, Copen- 
hagen. May, 1860. Published with the sanction of the 
Foreign Office. 
Denmark is essentially an agricultural country ; the surface of 
the soil offers few impediments to cultivation, and, as the king- 
dom and the duchies are alike devoid of mineral wealth and 
have but few factories, the rural population is almost excluded 
from other occupation than that of agriculture ; but, if the 
source of prosperity of the Danes is chiefly confined to hus- 
bandry, that vocation is nevertheless varied by the cultivation of 
^grain and plants, by the dairy, the breeding of horses, the fatting 
of cattle, &c. 
Among the causes on which agricultural prosperity depends, 
there are scarcely any of greater importance than the climate 
and the geology of a country. 
The climate of Denmark is, in this respect, more favourable 
than might be expected from its northern situation. In con- 
.sequence of the flatness of the country, its western position, and 
extent of sea-coast, the mean annual temperature is higher than 
in many more southern countries : it is 6"58^ Rdaumur, while 
that of Berlin is 6*79', that of Dantzic G'Sf^, and that of Berne 
6'19°. There are countries enjoying a higher mean temperature 
where, in consequence of severe frost, no grain can be produced. 
But that which in this country more especially advances agricul- 
ture is the favourable relation between the climate of winter and 
that of summer. The Avinter commences late, and is generally 
not very rigorous ; thus the laburnum and the walnut-tree grow 
luxuriantly here, while they are frequently destroyed by frost in 
Prussia and in Mecklenburg, and the vine can uncovered resist 
the cold better than in the most northerly vine countries, 
though, in consequence of the greater heat in spring and autumn, 
its fruit is more likely to come to maturity there than here. 
While Denmark has no frost which prevents the thriving of 
many trees and plants, its summer sun is so powerful that it 
ripens those fruits which do not come to maturity in milder 
climates. Thus Edinburgh, which is situated in the same lati- 
tude as Copenhagen, has a mean temperature of 7'11° Reaumur, 
while the latter has only G"58^, and the average temperature of 
winter in Edinburgh is 3^ higher than at Copenhagen ; never- 
theless, peaches seldom ripen in Scotland, while they constantly 
do so here. 
VOL. XXI. U 
