Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-11-18
WEALTH OF BULGARIA.

tural wealth that Bulgaria throws into
the balance as an aid toward the solu-
ton of their provisional problem.
Bulgaria is essentially farmer ma
ton, its exports consist of its agricul-
tLral SURPRISES, and in good years
these surpluses amount to very res
pectable quantities.
Nearly forty percent of the country's
area is cultivated, of which three
fourths is devoted to cereals, wheat
yielding the largest crop and indian
corn and barley coming second and
third in Importance. Ten percent of
the land is devoted to grazing, but Bull
garia has little Importance in the COM
merce of live stock. Meat products
take almost no part in Bulgaria's trade
although large numbers of cattle and
sheep have been raised during recent
years and considerable attention given
to the improvement of the native
breeds.
Wheat and Indian corn are the two
principal items on Bulgarias export
list. They constitute about one-half
of her total foreign sales. Oats, rye
ard barley are also raised upon the lit
tie Kingdoms farms for foreign con-
sumption. These exports of cereals,
together with eggs, altar of roses,
sleeps and lambs wool, and silk
worm cocoons make up more an sew
enty-five per cent of the total exports.
The raising of tobacco has come to be
an important source of the Bulgarian
farmers revenue, while, from Austria
Hungary, the sugar beet has found it's
and the manufacture of beet sugar has
increased rapidly.
Almost the whole of Bulgaria's for
eign trade during normal times has
been with those countries with whom
she is now fighting as an Ally-with
Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Ger
many. OR some strange reason, Bel
GUM was among Bulgaria's best Gus
toners. With the exception of this
last-named nation, the choice of allies
made by the Bulgarians is a choice
coinciding with the interest of her
foreign trade in the years before the
war. Bulgarian corn, tobacco, hides,
forest products and cocoons found
their best markets among the German
end Turkish buyers in days before the
war. OF course, Bulgarias famed pro-
duct, altar of roses, was largely taken
by the French, and enjoyed it's own
market among the buyers of all nations
of the West. Just such luxury pro-
duct, however, would be the first to
suffer by reason of the world war, and
Bulgaria's- trade in the expensive es-
sence of her wonderful rose valleys
was found to fall off greatly.
Most every Bulgarian is either a
farmer or a politician. AS a politician,
he writes, officers the army, and takes
up the various professions. Political
Bulgaria lives in the little nations one
pretentious city Sofia, while every
| where else throughout the country
stretch the little peasant holdings.
About forty per cent of the country is
held as private property and about
twenty-four per cent is parish prop
erty The bulk of the holdings owned
outright are held in less than one hun
| dred acre plots Land magnates. so
prominent in the other agriculture ma
lions are very rarely met with
among the Folk. Thrifty, well-to-do,
persistent farmers, defendants of gen
erations of farmers, make up the fin
aacial strength and the greater part of
TIE population of Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian peasants are as frug-
al and as careful in administering their
resources as are their German Allies
Little is wasted by the peasant family
in display or for festival Herein, Bull
garia contrasts strongly with her west,
ern neighbors, the Servians, who are a
people firmly imbued with the redon-