352 
Sti gar-Beet Cultivation in Axistria. 
markets in order to be fattened immediately. Herr KufFner buys 
only young and well-developed beasts of tlie variety known as 
the German race, and of about 70 stones live weight. The 
fattening process usually lasts from 140 to 155 days. Each 
beast in good condition receives per day, 112 lb. of beet- 
pulp from the factory, 7 lb. of hay, and 7 lb. of chopped 
straw ; 2 lb. of groats after the fourth week, increasing gradu- 
ally to 4 lb. in the twelfth week, and to 7 lb. in the last week ; 
1 lb. of oil-cake after the second week, increasing in the seventh 
week to 2 lb., and in the ninth week to 3 lb. ; 1 lb. of straw, 
and a pinch of salt. The destination of the beasts was not 
stated, but they probably go to Vienna, which is only three 
hours off. 
At Wischau about 1,000 beasts are fatted annually, chiefly 
for consumption at Brunn, the capital of Moravia, and a large 
fine city of 95,000 inhabitants, chiefly occupied in the cloth and 
machinery trade. The beasts at Wischau are mostly of the Styrian 
and Moravian breeds. Only young heavy beasts are bought in, 
of at least 84 stones live weight. The fattening usually lasts 150 
days. 
Labouk. 
Labour is not expensive in the beet-growing districts. For 
the harvest season, a large number of workmen from distant 
localities are employed, the wages of day labourers being 9rf. to 
Is. a day for men and 8rf. to lOcZ. a day for women. Tliese 
wages are often doubled when piece-work is in force, as it is for 
most of the operations of the farm. The system of administra- 
tion of the farms was found almost universally to be very 
elaborate and exact : so that any statistical fact desired, as to 
labourers employed, wages, yields, or live stock, was at once 
forthcoming without delay or difficulty. 
I had the curiosity to inquire somewhat closely into the 
farm staff" at Wischau, and I found they numbered altogether 
371, divided as follows : 30 salaried officers engaged in various 
capacities, 8 shepherds, 24 foremen, 29 stablemen, 1G3 herds- 
men, 22 dairymaids, and 125 labourers. All these received 
their wages in cash, with the exception of a very few who also 
had allowances in kind. 
The number of extra hands employed during the season of 
cultivating and harvesting the roots is often from two to three 
thousand. The work of cultivation is paid for by the day, as 
it is considered that it is done better under this system than 
by piece-work. The average wages of day labourers are 8ci. per 
