Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-12-03
GARDEN OF THE BALKANS
Poor Mans Paradise-Begsars Were
Scarce and Poverty Unknown.

Scarce and Poverty Unknown.
Serbia was just winning recogni-
ton as an undeveloped agricultural
bonanza at the outbreak Of the war;
and the propaganda which the Ser
bians had pushed for years and years
to attract French and British capital
to their country was on the point Of
bearing fruit" says bulletin just is
society, in which the economic condi-
ton of the Serbia Of pre-war days is
reviewed. Serbia has been justly
known as the garden of the Balkans,
and in its valleys are found some Of
the richest soils Of Europe, not ex-
cepting the black earth belt Of Rus
sia and the verdant Friuli. Unlike
Russia's black earth belt, which has
been losing its fertility, so that some
Of the northern provinces are out
ranking those Of the favored south,
the Serbian lands have barely begun
to give their wealth to the farmer.
The sturdy middle kingdom Of the
Balkans is composed Of a nation Of
farmers-soldier-fa for every
Serbian is a soldier-and manufactur-
ing industry has hardly appeared
among them. The fabricated products
used in Serbia, and these were only of
the simplest and most necessary kinds
everywhere in the land outside Of the
capital city, were almost wholly made
up of imports by way of the Hunga-
rian frontier and by way of the Greek
port, Saloniki. The wealth Of the
land came from its farms and its
grazing fields, and from these sources
but a 1.-THE was taken Of that which
might have been produced with the
investment of the needed capital.
Among other characterizations Of
this much-nicknamed country, that of
the poor mans paradise tells fuller
story than any other. Before the out
break of the war, which by now has
swept away crops, live stock and till
ers of the soil, Serbia, throughout its
length and breadth, was more truly
land of sufficiency than any other
land in Europe. There was no prob
lem Of an urban or industrial proletar-
lat Beggers were scarce and help
less poverty all but unknown. Even
the Serbian agricultural laborer has
been said to be as we'll off as the small
70 in EnO NJ
soil, and more picturesque beauty Of
landscape is found in the middle king
dom than in any other Balkan state.
Pigs formed the chief element of
Serbian wealth. They were corn-fed
pigs, like those of our western plains,
and were fattened in autumn and
summer on the beech-mast and
acorns of the extensive Serbian
forests. Despite keen American COM
petition and the unfavorable tariffs
Of neighbors, Serbian pork products
found an ever increasing export. The
pigs are mostly of native breed, pure
white or black, though some foreign
breeds have been introduced during
recent years. In relation to its popu-
lation, Serbia possessed more pigs
and sheep at the time Of the wars
outbreak than any other country in
Europe having more than 100000
pigs and about 100000 sheep.
Goats, also, are raised in great num-
bers, and the favored Serbian cheeses
are made of the milk of goats and
ewes.
Methods of farming and stock
raising have never risen above the
primitive in this land of plenty.
which 'tickled' with the peasants
hoe always laughs back with har-
vest Indian corn, the basis of the
diet of the Serbian farmer and Of
the Serbian livestock, is the principal
crop Of the land. The normal annual
yield exceeds more than 100000
bushels. Important quantities of
wheat, fax, hemp and tobacco have
been regularly grown. In 1910, the
sugar-beet was introduced into the
crops of Serbia, and this new industry
grew with astonishing rapidity, un-
til it threatened future serious
competition for the beet-sugar in
dustry of Austria. All the fruits Of
central Europe thrive in the middle
Balkan kingdom. and from one of
them the plum, is produced a nation
al drink, called shlivovitsa. Sericul-
ture and beekeeping were encourage