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518
VI. AGRICULTURE AND CATTLE-BREEDING OF SWEDEN.
That the increase of exports is not greater than what is shown
here depends, in the first place, upon the great increase of the
home-consumption. We need only remember that in 1870 but 28 of the
population of Sweden was engaged in other than farming pursuits; in
1900 this proportion of the population, which, of course, also demands
its share of the produce of agriculture, had risen to 45 %. In addition
to this, there is the considerably increased consumption per head, of
which mention was previously made, and of which Tab. 30, p. 156, bears
witness in respect to some of the most important articles.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that a further increase of
the export of agricultural produce is not only possible, but is also
necessary for the sound economy of the country. The last few years
have not been very favourable in this respect. The failure of both
the oat and potato crop in 1899 also contributed to the bad result
for the year 1900 when the imports rose to 89 million kronor, while
the exports reached but 47 millions.
If we take into account the amount of the imports and exports
given above which belong to farming proper — that is, apart from
the products of cattle-rearing — the result will be as follows, in kronor:
Averages. Imports. Exports.
Years 1871/75 ..........................................21,731,000 36,916,000 + 15,185,000
» 1876 80 ..........................................34,497,000 39,370,000 + 4,873,000
» 1881 85 ........................................43,670,000 29.162,000 — 14,508,000
• 1886/90 ..........................................31,548,000 18,591,000 — 12,957,000
» 1891 95 ..........................................36,077,000 15,244,000 — 20,833,000
• 1896,00 ..................... 43,265,000 4,143,000 - 39,122,000
Here are clearly shown the results of the more restricted role
which has been filled, during the last twenty or thirty years, by the
cultivation of cereals as compared with cattle-rearing — a
distinguishing feature, during the period, not only of Swedish but also of
European agriculture in general.
Excess of
Exports.
Number and dimensions of Farms.
The total number of farms amounted in 1900 to 338,416, so that each
farm corresponded to about 10 hectares of cultivated land.1 About 23 *
of the farms has but 2 hectares or less; 66 % possessed between 2 and
20 hectares, and 10 % between 20 and 100 hectares. Somewhat more than
3,000 farms (1 % of the whole number) each embraced more than 100
hectares of cultivated ground. Since the decade 1841/50, the number
of large farms has increased by the purchasing of several peasant-farms
and placing them under common farming. During the last few years
a tendency has, however, displayed itself once more to break up the
large estates into small farms. In Norrland the number of independent
1 An hectare = 2’47 acres.
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