Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-05-01
snuN rlLLlnc or THE SOIL.
Many Primitive customs, Handed
Down From Anicents, Prevail
Among Ausbandmen.

Herald. )--Ancicnt Greece is said to
have population of at least 10000
oG0 Some antiquarians estimate 1t
at 20.0o0.o00 Athens, at the age OF
Perikies. had a population OF 100000.
Now 1t has only 1000. The mum.
her of Inhabitants gradually dimin.
ished during the Turkish tyranny un-
I'll at the outbreak Of the revolution
In 1921 there were only 7S6.747 people
In Greece. After the revolution the
population began TO Increase gradn-
ally until In 1890 II had passed two
millions. more than three times the
number when the present government
wan formed. notwithstanding the large
emigration The natural Increase is
about "a por cent per year. very near
iy the same az that OF the United
States seyenty-eIeht per cent Of
the population live In the country and
20 per cent in the towns. A good
many OF the ao-called towns are small
villages OF farmers, II IN the cus-
tom IN Greece for the people To I've In
communities aud go to their farms
every morning This practice was
necessary for mutual protection In The
days OF the Turks, You see few de-
iacbed sarmhouses, and few country
seats. although the number is rapidly
Increasing now that brlRandage is er-
tinct As rule, however even now,
travellers find the farmhouses. in clus.
ierN. and the farmers going out TO
their work every morning with
lunch OF bread and olives in their
pochsts
Nearly all the land that is capable
of raising crops Is under cultivation.
but the methods ARE very primitive.
and 4 does not produce anything like
the crops that ought to come from
this soil The government has re
Gently instituted general movement
for agricultural education. and has
established schools IN ali III. pro
ylnoes. o, which the science of farm
iug 10 taught~only the Tudimenis AT
-brcausc the Greeks are very
conservative. and tine wise men who
arc at the head Of this movement
know better than ~ 20 too rapidly.
The farms average about ten acres
In Hxtent. tho Rrcn, majority of them
being less than two They are oultl.
yn'ed entirely by haua and with
homemade implements. The soif is
plowcd with crooked stick similar
20 that used by the Egyptians In the
days OF Moaes. aud the grain IL thrash
cd with the hoofe of animals tramp,
ling upon II Near by every commun-
iiy can he seen a circular platform
paved with stone. often with post In
tho center when the harvest comes
the grain will be spread upon the spt.
face and three or -four animals will
be hltchcd Ia the post and driven
round and round until they have tram,
pied the kernels out OF The husles
Az n consequence half the labor is
ioH, for the ground does not produce
what the farmer H. entitled to- Greece
does not grow enough food for her
/ own consumption, Az least 30 per
/ cent of the meat. vegetables and grain
! consumed annually are imported.
which II entirely unnecessary aud n
direct loss TO the people, because the
transportation has To he paid for. md
no much moro comes out OF the pook.
cts of the laboring classes.
On few largo estates the land ia
worked on shares the peasants taking
twosthirds Of the produce and giving
the other third In licu OF the rental
tho landlord sharing the losses as woli
ms the profts when they occur, Olive
groves are often managed on this
I plan. and II In generally satisfactory
Although square miles Of land are
lying idle II II singular fact that
Z the nelds Ia the neighborhood OF hth.
4 enr do not produce enough vegetables
TO supply the local market Nobody
seems TO know exactly why, although
there a general disposition to attrib-
ute the phenomenon to the natural
I characteristics Of the people and to
sey that the Greeks are poor gar.
dcncrs
The king sets a good example, He
/ has an csiato and country house about
! fifteen miles from Athens and several
thousand acres OF land under high
state Of cultivation II is n sort OF
experimental farm In more senses
than one. AT which he not only shows
what can be done. but how TO do t.,
] hNu NV HiNanAhEFN VI inttlllRNf' ihfin
ing lie hna the best live stock in
{ Greece. the most Improved machinery.
the best breeds OF cattle horses.
sheep swine and poultry and he sells
milk. vegetables and other farm pro
duce In the local market, as Victoria
OF England used to do ON the Isle Of
Wight
This example. am told. has done
some good II has made farming TO
spectacle, although the Greeks have
net followed the fashion 10 any great
extent In fact 1 cannot learn of any
native OF wealth or Influence who has
initiated his majesty and gone into
the garden truck business In an.
other direction the king has done u
good deal to improve the breeds OF
live stock and poultry although the
horses and cattle OF Greece are com.
paratiVcly poor The sheep are
much better
Dairy farming is limited More
goats milk Is sold than cows milk.
The natives use comparatively little
butter The Greek butter must be
used promptly, because II has a