, 1888-06-30
DENMARK FARMERS.
THE PEASANTRY DIVIDED INTO
FOUR DISTINCT CLASSES.

stead of the Yeoman Farmer-Ths Law
OF nheritance-Clas Distinctions Con-
corning MISUNDERSTANDING Poultry.
The peasantry of Denmark are divided
into four distinct classes, namely. the
"Gaardmand" pronounced Gormanl or
yeoman farmer, who either owns or rents
from thirty to eighty-fve acres (Englishl;
secondly, the 'Parcelist," who. owns or
rents from eight to thirty acres; thirdly.
the "Husmand." or cottager, with from
one TO eight acres; and lastly. the In,
slider" who generally rents his cottage
and garden plot; and from this last class
it is that the laboring men are principally
drawn.
Until marriage the laboring men are fed
and lodged upon the farm where they work,
and in one of the buildings Just referred
10 are the dormitories for the earle" of
which Upon such a farm there would be
about twelve. beside the foreman; there.
too. is the roomy kitchen, and the refec-
tory. where these stalwart hungry youths
are fed; and particularly well fed, too,
partakng of 40 less han FIVE good meals
a day. AT 6 in the morning their break
fast is served, consisting of huge slices of
bread and butter-cut by a machine
with coffee and a small glass of SNAPS"
or corn brandy; on the Island of Zealand
this early meal Is a kind of thick soup
made of rye bread and beer, with which
a salt herring is eaten. At noon dinner,
which is soup or porridge. followed by
meat. or Goldfish, or pork, with vegetables
and beer; at A p. m. bread and butter.
cheese. beer, and more snaps, and finally.
a supper of porridge with milk.
Tho farm hands are hired by the half
year., and the whole system has hitherto
worked to the mutual satisfaction of both
laborer and employer This, however. is
greatly due to the fact that there exists a
code of hiring laws which provides an easy
settlement of all disputes between master
and man Every servant, farm or domes
tic. Is under these laws compelled to keep
Il book which is officially registered, and
wherein are written all his or her certii
Gates of character, each one of which Is
necessarily countersigned by the magis.
trate of the district wherein the master
or mistress resides
The Gaardmand's homestead Is substan
tial. square and matched; the barns.
stables, etc. are Joined to it, forming to-
gether a quadrangular farm yard, with
the entrance gate facing the dwelling. At
the back is a garden, usually of about
t~hree-quarters of an acre. devoted to fruit,
vegetables and hops, with a few roses
and gnly flowers near the house door. A
farmer working from sixty to eighty acres
will nave Upon his farm two ''karles,' a
boy, and two girls for the dairy, all of
whom are helped in their work by their
master and his family. Generally such a
farmer keeps upon his land fifteen or more
cows, four sheep, four horses and two
goats, for every farmer is a horse breeder
more or less The poultry is his wife's
care and perquisite. and forms a highly
important item in her yearly budget.
These farms, when owned by the yeoman,
are, generally speaking. mortgaged for
half their value. a fact to be attributed in
most instances to the repeal of the law of
primogeniture.
At present the parent is permitted, If
he p%leases, to leave o%ne-third of his prop
erty to his eldest son, a clause In the law
of Inheritance much appreciated and In
general use. As the valuation for probate
is extremely low. the eldest son generally
raises a loan with which to buy out his
brothers and sisters. with their consent,
and the race being a practical one, en-
dowed with generous instincts, this modi-
fed form of ''partage force" does not ap-
pear as yet to produce the jealous feuds
or to work the evil 1t Is known to do In
other countries; though, as indeed the
system has not been long in force, it Is
perhaps rash to predict that it may effect
no change for the worse during the lapse
of a century, In cases where q loan is
impossible. owing to a previous mortgage,
subdivision steps in, and in some instances
has been repeated until the minimum area
has been reached under the new law al.
ready referred to. Necessarily, II the
family be numerous, and all elect to re-
tain their share in the land, they sink to
the position of Husband, and have to
resort to a trade to exc out their liveli-
hood. Should, however, a younger mem
Der of the family have had the good luck
to have married the child of a wealthy
Gaardmand with q good dowry, then the
newly married pair proceed to buy a small
farm of about twenty-five acres, and be-
come Parcelists.
Glass distinctions are clearly marked
and rigidly adhered to among the peas
antry. Not so very long ago it was argued
from certain political platforms In the
Midlands that the farm laborer who pos
sessed three acres and a cow" would no
longer nave the need to touch his hat to
the squire. Judging from the Danish
p~easantry. however, q race fully as sturdy
md independent as our own, it would APP
pear that an increase in the number of
owners of land does but augment the
number of those who demand a respectful
salutation from the laborer, whether he
possesses q cow or not Also as regards
marriage. n Gaardmand's son marries al,
most invariably n IaarQnand
When the marriage of a Gaardmand's son
with a husbands daughter occurs. all
the peasant society of the district is put
tn a lutter. and The match Is considered
n grave mesalliance, not at all to be en-
courRged The younger sons Of Gard
mand who have neither the prospect of a
good inheritance nor of a good match, "
usually learn a village trade. such as
that OF wheelwright or blacksmith; those
with n better education and more enlight-
cned may become village schoolmasters
aud village vets. and sometimes. If they
nave n preference for horsefesh, they may
take the post of coachman at the HERE
mand's. though 1t is rare for the yeoman
class to enter domestic service. Those
who do so. like those who take to a trade.
lose caste. and may freely choose their
wives from the Husmand's daughters.
but not SO the veterinary, or schoolmas.
ter, for whom 1t would be objectionable.
Fowls are kept invariably. They help
to pay the rent, and often more besides.
Upon the highway one meets the tiny
child of 4 OF 8. fair haired and blue eyed.
her mother in miniature as regards