The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-06-17
INDUSTRY AND
 AGRICULTURE IN CzECH0SL0 0VAKIA

Since the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic on October 2S, 1918, the progress of the Czechs and Slovaks, who then realized their long cherished ambition to be regarded as a distinct people, has been watched with considerable interest. Living in a. compact mass in Bohemia, Moravia, Austrian Silesia and Slovakia, their country is just a trif1e larger than the state of Pennsylvania and as a whole rather mountainous, except for the Danube plain, which is richly en- dowed with forests. To be exact
 this new Republic has an area of about 60,000' square miles. Besides Czechoslovaks, its population of near ly 13,00O,0O0 includes many Ger mans, Magyars, Poles and Ruthen- ians. The principal cities are Prague, Brunn, Pilsen, Pressburg Budweis, Kladno and Olmutz.
 Of it's total area 50.47 per cent is devoted to field crops, 29.01 per cent. to forests, 17.14 per cent. to mead ows, gardens and ponds; only 3.3S per cent is unproductive. In 1910,
 3 per cent. of the total population of Bohemia was employed in agri
 culture, in which great progress has been made during the last fifty years. The lands along the great rivers Iabe, Vlatava, Moravia and Dyje are said to be among the most produc tive in Central Europe. Wheat, oats rye and barley are the chief grain crops The potato, which | forms the staple food of the people l is extensively grown. The cultiva- 1 tion of the sugar beet has become of great importance, and previous to 1914 increased attention was being | given to flax and hemp. For many years plunls were plentiful that l they constituted an article of export i In normal years the value of the an-
 nual harvest in Bohemia was estimat- | ed at 1,250, 0,000,000 crowns (s25O,-
 ooo.ooo. normal exchange). In 1913, the chief crops were: 17,753,- 66o bushels of wheat, 3e,oe5.715 l bushels of rye, 67,50S,75o bushels of l oats, 32,431,666 bushels of barley, | 137. 7.020,000 pounds of vegetables,
 129, 31s, 900 bushels of potatoes, l. | 93Ss3o tons of hay and 4,477,4 ,44o
 tons of sugar beets. The yield of | stone fruits during the same year 1 was 13s, Ss7 tons and all other fruits produced 2s,6oo,000 pounds of hops.
 Although not so well developed as 1 agriculture, the rearing of sheep l horses and cattle, and poultry and bee farming were extensively carried l on. The war has left the country | practically bare of animal life. For
 ests occupy 3,769,067 acres in Bohe-
 mia, 53S,677 acres in Moravia and
 455,077 acres in Siesia.
 The minerals found include: coal
 Ignite, iron, graphite, gold, silver
 radiun, lead, zinc, marble, granite i sandstone limestone, white quaftz and
 various kinds of clay suitable for the production of brick, tile, pottery, and porcelain. In 1913, the last year for which figures could be obtained
 the total value of the mining pro. ducts in Bohemia was $35, 5,616,774 an6 it's smelling products s7.2s0,33o IT Silesia the annual output of ores i: quite large, but the mines of Slova kia have not been exploited In 1911
 Bohemia. Moravia and Silesia produc ed coal valued at s25.91s,s 800, Hgnit' $42, ,1G7, 600, iron ore s1 ,s64, 400 ant graphite s57,SO0. Bohemia produc j ed in the same year gold to th'
 value of $5s 200, silver $4S,200 ane radium $11. 400.
 In practically all parts of thE
 country manufacturing esta bfishm enfs } are well developed. In proportion 3 to population. Bohemia was more largely engaged in manufacturing } than any other section of Austria : Hungary, having in 1914, 5000 fac
 tories, employing 44o,0oo persons II and near the city of Prague, whicl Is the capital of the country and ar
 important. European railroad center
 are to be found such enterprises a'
 flour mills, distil1eries, sugar. rehner
 les, cotton spinning mills; plants fol tha manufactura of locomotives All