Pola

As is natural, small estates predominate, forming over 5o% of the whole area, and being concentrated chiefly in Galicia and the former "Congress Kingdom." Large estates predominate in the western and eastern provinces. Large estates number 19,457 and occupy an area of 14,186,600 hectares, while small estates num ber 3,298,500 and occupy 24,646,200 hectares. Thus the greater part of agricultural land in Poland is owned by peasant propri etors, though there is still a large class of greater landowners. The area of land suitable for agricultural purposes shows that corn growing is the chief feature of Polish agriculture :— The table shows that in crop production Poland has fully re covered from the after effects of the war. This recovery was greatly aided by government loans at low interest rates to farmers for the purchase of machinery, implements and artificial fertilizer, which assistance was extended in greater measure in 1927 than in former years.

The ravages of the World War were nowhere more seriously felt than in the destruction of live stock. The re-stocking of farms and estates, however, made excellent progress in 1925-27, so that in the latter year there were a larger number of horses, cattle, pigs and sheep than in 1913. The export of live cattle and meat is rapidly growing.

Forests cover 24% of Polish territory and total 8,943,762 ac., of which 2,834,000 ac. are government owned. Pine trees form 65% of the forests and predominate in the western and central provinces. In the south-east deciduous trees prevail, of which the oak is the most important. Fir and beech trees appear in the southern provinces. The largest forests are those of Bialowieia, where the trees are mostly 200 years old (pines, oaks of great height and diameter, elms, firs and alders), August6w, Grodno, Kurpie, Tuchole, Polesie and the East Carpathian forest.

Manufactures and Mines.

Poland, as an economic unit, suffers from the diversity of origin of her industries. Poznan and Pomorze were utilized by Prussia as granaries and developed few industries. Galicia similarly found it hard to compete with Austrian and Czech factories, and remained predominantly agri cultural. The "Congress Kingdom," on the other hand, developed certain industries in its days of independence, 1815-31, and after its incorporation in Russia produced a great textile industry for the Russian and Eastern markets. To-day a complete readjust ment has taken place. The Lodz industrial area has lost its Russian market and has found fresh home markets in agricultural Poznan and Galicia, while Poznan and Galicia sell their grain to industrial Poland instead of to Prussia and Austria, and have to seek fresh foreign markets as well. Moreover, part of the Silesian coalfield has been united to the rest of the great Polish coalfield, but part of it still remains under Germany. The Polish coalfield is composed of three parts, with the different methods and tradi tions of three countries.

The basis of Polish industry is the richness of her resources of coal, which gives her third place in the rank of European countries.

The bulk of the Silesia-Moravian coalfield is in Poland, consist ing of the Upper Silesian basin, the Cracow basin, the Dombrowa basin and the Teschen basin, all of which were formerly separated by the frontiers of Russia, Prussia and Austria. Production in 1927 amounted to 38,072,000 metric tons as compared with 36,097,000 in 1923 and 40,727,000 for the same area in 1913. The output of the mines has been raised by better technical equip ment, an increase in the efficiency of the labour, and the opening of fresh mines. Nearly i00,000 workmen are employed, and be sides satisfying the home market and other industries of Poland, a considerable export takes place, amounting to 14,707,000 million tons in 1926, and 11,095,000 in 1927.

Whereas coal is found in the south-west, the oilfields of Poland lie in the south-east of the republic. Since 1857 Polish enter prise, aided by Canadian experience, has developed the oil of Boryslaw, Drohobycz (qq.v.) and other districts of the provinces of Lemberg and Stanislawow, until, in 1909, as much as two million tons were produced. The amount produced then declined until 1921 when it began to grow again. From 1924 to 1926 the output remained about stationary, amounting in the latter year to 798,082 tons. There is also a considerable output of zinc and iron ore, the former amounting in 1927 to 125,372 tons, and the latter increasing from 315,349 tons in 1926 to 430,427 tons in 1927.

The metal industries suffered more from the World War than any other, since whole factories were destroyed, removed or con fiscated to prevent such important war material falling into hos tile hands. By 1924 a revival had taken place and new industries were inaugurated. The industry in 1927 employed 85,281 opera tives and was widely distributed over Poland, having its chief centre in Warsaw, and producing machines, agricultural ma chinery, metal ware, hardware, armaments, motor cars, locomo tives, and including boiler works and foundries. Greatest of all Polish industries is the textile industry, employing over 188,000 workmen and producing cotton yarn and fabrics, from imported raw material, woollen yarns and fabrics, silk fabrics, embroideries and goods made from flax, hemp and jute. The industry, which has the advantage of unlimited coal, highly skilled workmen and a high standard of technical development, suffered after the war from lack of capital and foreign competition, and was unable to satisfy the home market. The three centres of the industry are Lodz, which suffered terribly during the war; Bialystok, which suffered under German and Russian occupation; and Bielsk, in Silesia. Lodz and the neighbouring towns of Pabianice, Zdunska Wola, Tomaszow, Zgierz and Zyrardow form the great centre of the textile industry, and produce almost all the cotton goods. Wool is the greatest product of the Bialystok and Bielsk areas. Silk is manufactured at Lodz, Bialystok and Kalisz, which is also the centre of the embroidery industry. Czenstochowa is the centre of the jute trade, which also flourishes at Bielsk.