The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-27
RUMANIA

world war, whose resources both in
 men and materials give this little na-
 ton a military importance out of pro-
 portion to it's size and fame, is de-
 scribed in 8 study, Ruman1a, the
 Pivotal States prepared, by James Howard Gore for the National Geo.
 graphic Society. The bulletin de-
 scribing the strength and organiza- ton of Rumania reads as follows:
 The Rumanian lands-composed
 of the two principalities, Meldavia and Wallachia-irst found freedom from the Turk in the treaty of Paris. signed in 1856 They were united in governrnent almost from the start;
 and, under the rule of their second Prince, Charles of HohenzoI1ern, a vigorous spirit of nationalism was in stiIled into all classes, and, after the defeat of the Turks at Plevna by their soldiers, the little principality was recognized as 8 kingdom. The pres ent king is a nephew of Prince
 52,4S9 square miles, or one slightly greater than England and Wales and only a little less than Massachusetts Sand New York combined Within this territory there were, according to- the last census 7,50sso00 inhabit- ants, giving density of population slightly greater than that of Mary land
 s.The fields of Rumania are very fertile, and many conquerors have quarre1eI over the division of it's soil. It's system of land ownership is com plicated, but, in general, it may be said that out of 33,000,0o0 acres of arabic land the small farmers have a little more than one-third. while the the state 6,OOO,0OO. The lands own
 ad 1a1yf he zfs . f( (Irf1E1y n mains and consisting Of twelve es- tates, exercise great influence as mod ell establishments In all depart ments, conservation of natural re- sources is taught by precept and ex- ample, and forestry, which was a hobby of the late king, found 8 quick response from the peasants who af- fbrother and the elm their cou&in. Lumber, in various fnruns. ranks fourth in the list of Rumania's ex- ports.
 Progress has been steady and rapid in Rumanta, and one may find villages of peasant farmers that can not be surpassed for comfort. It is essentially an agricultural state, and the rich soil insures a good return for the peasants labor. It is said that there are estates which, although long under cultivation without a single
 nanuring, continue to yield twenty five bushels of wheat while other tracts more scientifically handled, pro- duce as much asN thirty-six bushels to tility that the Danubian States rank with Russia, Argentina. and the United States as the chief wheat growing countries on the globe.
 Crop failures occasion general dis tress, as a6 per cent. of the popula- tion depend upon agriculture; and Runaania will. continue eto be sub- ject. to economic Impressions as long as she remains exclusively dependent upon the wealth of her harvests. In dian corn is one. of the staples of her peasants tables.
 The lithuanian farmer Is quite superstitiouss and, in his agricultural endeavor, makes use of a number of signs in which not only the moon. but all nature, tal1epart. Thus when the sparrows hutter about, chirruping; when the cattle show nervous rest 1essness and the forest gives forth unusual sounds; when the cock crows all day long, the ducks thresh the ground with their wings, and the frogs croak incessantIy; when the mist rises, the sun sets in a cloud. and your ears .itchs there surely will be rain. When, off the other hand, the spar rows take a bath in the dust, when the storlzs stand quietly in the field, the lambs stand gamboI gai1y, and the cat. after washing her face, looks at, tfesdoors there will be, fine wealth CT. But when the sparrows are hHr- rying about looking for shelter; when the lark dashes against tk c windows; when the cattle below. looking. up into the air. and the pig goes about with a straw in his snout then a I 1A,e-, F A
 The Rumanian is not a trades man. Still he is an indu strialist in his own way, and almost everything about the house is his own handf- work. The great inditstri;tlist in the peasants home is the housewife. She takes hand at everything except loading the hay. She talxel the hemp and the flax from the seed to the f1n- ished garment and deems herself for tunate if the husband pIovfs for her the ground. Spinning and weaving are. done by the women and the clothing worn by the family are tan-l gible evidences of the house wife,s taste and industry To wear store made clothes, until recent tines. was 3 token of indoIence or awkwardness on the wife's@p part.
 Military service is uniyersaI and coInpulsory3 All young men between the ages of 19 and 21, unless physi- eally incapacitated, receive at home pr in the schools preliminary military l training At twenty one, the active l with the army begins with 1 two years drill in the infantry. fol- 1 lowed by three years in the other arms of the service. The army is the l eountry's pride. and the roster of the 1 standing army calls for two hundred l and ninety thousand men, armed with | Mannlicher rifles. In war time, this number could be largely increased. l The Rumanian navy consists of a I protected cruiser a few. patrol boats, | and some torpedo boats
 Salt deposits in Rumania cover an enormous area and have thickness I varying from six to eight hundred i feet. There are, also, vast oil fields r m the land exporting a product ! 3 ID Ounting fO a. Va Ina of c nnn mn |