Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-09-24
FARMING IN HIGH lATlTUDES.
LETTER FROM DENMARK.

Ii Is mid-harvest on both sides or the
Sound, or, | should say, more than that
on the island of Funen, which is the
most fertile part of this little kingdom;
the part, too, where rents are highest,
the farmers best of, and where almost
the only wheat north of the Duchies Is
raised. OF course the upper part OF Jut-
land, consisting mostly OF sand dunes,
does not count at all and one wonders
why Herring and Frederickshavn man
aged TO get themselves set down there.
Rye gains fottholi wherever cultiva-
tion is possible; 1t Is now all in shocks,
standing in the fields, and would have
been stored in the barns blt for the
drenching rains which have prevailed In
western Europe. Even then, some time
Is allowed to harden off before any OF II
is ground, and a country mill wind
power, with auxiliary steam) which |
saw ut Hillerod in north ICELAND, yester-
day, was still working on old stun,
which il in extremely short supply
everywhere.
These said rains have played havoc
with the barley crop, (both here aud IN
southern Sweden, and there will be
more light grain produced than has been
the case for years. BEST Danish" Is
very good barley indeed; most OF
Guinness famous product comes from 1t,
and the price makes relatively high
average In Mark Lane. But when these
dashiug rains come few weeks before
harvest, and level the fields, In many
cases as with roller, the costs of har-
vesting are increased, and the quality OF
the grain Is unequal and Disappointing.
No people are more painstaking In
respect 10 choice OF seed than the Danes,
and their government well fosters dis
tinguishing care In this respect. Then
although the days are swelteringly hot
from eleven To two o'clock, the nights
already get keen, the stars shine out
with great brilliancy, and early night
frosts cannot be altogether unlocked for
all this preventing kindly ripening
Where this cereal has been already cut,
it Is neatly shcaved (plenty OF Woods
self-binding reapers are on larger farms
and carefully set up In shocks, with an
inverted cap-shcaf 10 cast of the rain.
aud TO keep all the rest snug and safe.
Where extra care IL taken-and saw
this on the smaller holdings In Skanit,
long stake Il placed upright, and firm
centre Il thus obtained for all sorts oil
wind or weather.
Happily the clover top, on which they
so greatly depend (for there Is not
ground to spare for permanent grass or
pssture) WAS we'll got; and the second
crop is all that can be desired, rich,
luscious, and good living indeed for
the animals that appear to be all doing
well upon IL. Tethered every creature
il that gets the advantage OF so great 8
mouth.ul; "wsste not, want not, Il the
motto everywhere, and even the horse
get used 10 this way of having their liv-
ing provided. An eyable thing it l. o.
look on a row of score OF red cows, al
fastened in line and cropping just The
portion OF ground assigned 10 them.
They are educated TO il from calfhood,
and are spared the waste OF vital force
that roaming about entails; the portion
allotted Is fresh, sweet, clean, and the
animals seem 10 have sense enough never
TO soil il, but 10 fall back as far "a the
rope allows, on the previously grazed
portion. Still, when the weather Is
thundery, and the gadny busy, IL is no
agreeable sight TO notice some OF the
cows rushing round, as on circus
course, but with tail aloft and other
SYMPTOMS OF discomfort. | have seen
sheep also grazing thus, and they are
most generally fastened in pairs, the
rope being forked within few feet OF
its extremity. The economy in fences j.
apparent; but | need not add that the
system is best adapted for good full
crops, aud would be far less suitable for
a poor region. Milk or rather its
products still forms one of the staple ar
ticles of Danish export, and the butter
in particular, holds good place in the
London markets, no pains being spared
to give uniformity of yield, fineness OF
finish, and great speed in placing fresh
on the consumers breakfast table.
have said that the Danish govern
ment gives helping hand TO the farmer
in every way possible. This country Is
10 be well represented at the lnterna-
tional Congress of Agriculture, which Is
to be held at Brussels from the sth to
the 10th of September. The work OF the
congress will be divided into twelve
sections, comprising agricultural educa-
ton, agricultural science, agricultural
associations, including cooperation.
legislation and administration, the
monetary situation, production of ami
mails, veterinary medicine, vegetable
production, economic forestry, pisci-
culture and agricultural industries.
Socially. there is much 10 be noted
here. In proportion TO her population,
Denmark is richer than any other country
in Europe, with the sole exception of Eng
land. Proportionally, the circulation OF
newspapers is larger than in any other
country in Europe. Her peasant class
is among the best educated in the world.
More than 10000 Of her agricultural
laborers own houses and land, and only
about 81, 900 of them do not own land.
In 1894, England imported from Den
mark ,l02, ,I93 cwt. OF butter, and ,l13,-
$40 cwt. from all other countries. Den
mark was exporting most OF her swine
To Germany wnen that country prohibit
ed the importation of foreign swine.
The Danes ut once built cooperative
curing establishments, and in these hall
of the pigs reared In the country are
cured and exported to England in the
about one-iifth of the bacon imported by
England, not TO mention more than
100000 pigs, and as an exporter of
bacon is second only TO the United
States. Her yearly export OF cattle is
about 100. 900 head. Last year she sent
l6O, ,O0O, 900 eggs to England. When
corn fell below profitable price, the
Danish agriculturist promptly changed
his whole system, and instead OF plant
ing Improbable crops as they still do iu
some parts of England, threw much OF
his energies into dairy farming, and
made il pay. There are, comparatively
speaking, no poor in Denmark. l men
tion these facts merely to show that the
Danes are industrious, thrifty and ener-
getic, and that they always rise to an
emergency, and that the greater the OBJ
stacle placed in their way, the more de-
termined they are TO overcome IL.
Some quaint old customs still abide in
this part of Scandinavia. The Iule-
sheaf is put by unthreshed at every
farm house, and on Christmas eve 1t l.
hung out on high pole near the farm
er's door, for the furnishing birds 70
make their Jul-Afton. IL the Yule-sheaf
were not seen there, the people would
believe the farmer would have bad sea-
son; they would think him hard m,n,
and not like to help him. And how do
they manage for the beasts? They, too,
get double food for their Christmas
Country Gentleman.
CORN is NECESSARY FOR POULTRY.