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SOCIAL CLASSES AND DISTINCTIONS.
15o
According to these, the total of "agricultural divisions" in 1911 was 359 871.
to which are added 138 077 "crofters’ holdings and other properties". The former
were distributed according to ownership and tenants, as follows:
Owners Occupiers
at most 2 hectares ............ 79 738 9 229
2-20 > ............ 199 912 30 565
20-100 » ............ 22 677 10 512
above 100 » ............ 2 046 1 117
It is true that the idea of the distribution of the land afforded by these
figures is by no means complete, inasmuch as they only relate to agricultural
land, and, further, since they afford no information as to the proportion of the
total area of the country that is collectively occupied by the land included in
these various groups. Nevertheless, it provides a general idea, which, for want
of a better, may be given here.
For the distribution of land suitable for cultivation is, from the social point
of view, the most important subject for consideration. For the question before
us, it is of less moment to observe how the immense stretches of forest and
unserviceable land are distributed, especially in the northern districts of the
country which are scarcely suited to agriculture. Even the lack of returns on
the total area of the various groups constitutes no insuperable barrier, when
one knows that a farm cannot advantageously cover more than, say, 400 hectares.
The 3 163 greater estates, therefore, cannot occupy a very large part of the
area of agricultural land under consideration. Calculations made for the year
1904 (Statistisk tidskrift, vol. 2, 1906) for the total areas included in the
different groups strengthens this assumption. According to these calculations the
area is distributed among properties as follows:
—10 hectares...................25’8ii
10—50 » ...................50-45 .
50—io > ...................S3-69 >
Finally, considering that a farm in Sweden (above all in the central and more
northerly districts), must not be too small if it is to provide for a family, the
conclusion is arrived at that this farmed land is distributed among numerous
occupiers. It is well known, too, that in many tracts no large estates are to be
found, but only inconsiderable farms, and sometimes nothing but small plots,
as is mostly the case in Dalarne. Therefore, it can be safely asserted that, even
now, it is the rule in Sweden that the distribution of property, as regards
farmland, has proceeded rather far. And this tendency is strengthened by reason of
the movement to provide small freeholds and small holdings, which accelerates
the dismemberment of the older estates, and by the reclamation of swamps and
fens.
Passing from property to income, which possesses the greatest
importance in the matter under consideration, we have to premise here, also, that
the returns bearing upon the distribution of incomes which have been
collected during låte years leave much to be desired as a means of guidance.
The official reports on taxation, for instance, suffer from a fault which
largely detracts from their value just in the matter we are dealing with.
Whereas the larger incomes are generally accounted for with accuracy,
the smaller ones, notably those of farmers, are given as far smaller than
they really are. A remarkable proof of this is furnished by the figures of
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