Cimate, Soil, Products, etc.—The temperature of B. varies considerably, being cold and bleak in the mountainous regim.s, and very hut in summer in the plains and valleys. The climate may be described generally, however, as mild and salubrious. The soil, par ticularly in the valleys of the upper and lower Danube, is very fertile, second to none in central Germany; but its capabilities as yet have not been fully developed, although even now the wealth of the country consists almost wholly of its agricultural produce. The plain s. of Munich has been described as the granary of Germany. in conse quence of its great productiveness, while the circles of upper and middle Franconia are styled the hop-garden of Bavaria. Wheat, rye, oats, 80(1 barley are the chief articles of produce, but buckwheat, maize, and rice are also grown to a small extent The vine, as well as the hop-plant, is cultivated extensively in Franconia, and the wine is held in Frent esteem. Rhenish B. also produces good wine. The quantity annually produced in B. is estimated at upwards of 10,000,000 gallons. Fruit, tobacco. flax, hemp, linseed, licorice, and beet-root arc cultivated. Cattle-rearing forms the exclusive occupation of the inhabitants on the slopes and at the foot of the Alps, pasturage being found at an elevation of 8500 feet. Sheep, goats, and pigs are reared in middle and upper Fran conia, and horses chiefly in upper B. and Swabia, but the live-stock is far from being adequate to the extent and capacity of the country. The forests of B. annually large quantities of timber. The soil is rich in mineral wealth, which as yet has not drawn upon to anything like its full extent. The chief minerals are salt—which is a gov ernment monopoly, and obtained by evaporation, principally from the rich mines in the s.e. corner of the Alps—coal and iron, which is worked almost everywhere throughout the territory. In Rhenish B., copper, manganese, mercury, and cobalt are found; quick silver and black-lead are obtained in some places; marble in great variety is common, so also are gypsum, alabaster, and some of the finest porcelain clay in Europe.
Manufactures, etc.—The manufacturing industry of B., like its agriculture, is gen erally in an undeveloped state, and not centered in the hands of capitalists, who can largely take advantage of new inventions to prosecute it with energy and success, but distributed among numerous small manufacturers.
This is not the case with beer, the manufacture of which is carried to great perfec tion in and to an extent, if we take population into account, quite unparalleled in Europe. There are upwards of 5000 breweries in B., making about 110,000,000 gallons of beer annually, which are mainly consumed in the country, the quantity of beer that a Bavarian can imbibe being quite marvelous. Nearly two thirds of the revenue of the state are said to be derived from this source alone. Next to beer, coarse linen is the most important product of manufacturing industry, and of late years some consid erable cotton-factories have been erected; but the supply of cotton, woolen, and worsted goods is not equal to the home consumption. Leather is pretty extensively manu factured, so also are paper, articles of straw and wood, porcelain, glass, nails, needles, jewelry, beet-root sugar. and tobacco. The mathematical and optical instruments of Munich are held in high repute. The exports consist of timber, grain, wine, cattle, wool, salt, hops, fruits, beer, leather, glass, jewelry, optical and mathematical instru ments, butter, cheese, etc. The annual value of these is estimated at about L1,500,000_ The principal imports are sugar, coffee, woolens, silks, stuffs, drugs, hemp, and flax.
The position of B. gives it the transit trade between n. Germany and Austria, Switzer land and Italy.
Population. Religion, Education.—The growth of the population of B. is much checked by the regulations which relate to marriages. No marriage can take place until the authorities who superintend the relief of the poor are fully satisfied that the persons wishing to marry have adequate means to support a wife and family; and cer tain military obligations have also to be fulfilled before a man can enter into wedlock. These restrictive laws have another consequence besides that of preventing a rapid increase of the population; they have tended to increase inordinately the number of illegitimate children. B. has a very bad pre-eminence in this respect on the continent. In the capital, the illegitimate births about equal the legitimate; and over the wholw kingdom the proportion ranges from I in 4.5 to 1 in 5 of the total births, equal to a per centage of from 221 to 20 Illegitimate births. In 1817, the population was 3,564,757; in 1883. 4.187,390; an I in 1805, it bad only increased to 4,541,550. During recent years, however, the increase has been more rapid, the population in 1S64 amounting to 4,807,440; and in 1871, to 4,863,450. The Bavarians, notwithstanding their beer-bib bing propensity. are ssentially a sober and industrious people. all of German origin, they diff i er materially in character. The Franconians are intelligent, diligent, and steady; the Suabians, good-naturedly i indolent; and the inhabitants of the Pala tinate, lively and enterprising; while the Bavarians proper are dull and superstitious.
As to ri•q!ini, in 1871. the Roman Catholics numbered 3,464,364; Protestants, 1,842,592; Jews, 50,062; and other minor sects. 5453. The state allows perfect toleration, guaran • teeing the same civil rights to Catholic and Protestant alike. Individuals of every sect have the privilege of worshiping privately without fear of molestation; and on appli cation to the by a sufficient number of families, the right of public worship can be secured. A concordat with Rome divides the state into 2 archbishoprics and 6 bishop rics. The consistories of Anspach, Baireuth, and Speyer, under the superior consistory of Munich, govern the Lutheran church, the Munich consistory being In some degree subject to a section in the home department, which manages the temporal concerns of all the churches. The president of the Munich consistory has a seat and vote in the commit of the state. The revenues of the church of Rome are derived from lands and endowments, the Protestant church is supported by the state. Of late, the Bavarian government has become conspicuous by opposing the 1.71tramontaues, and encouraging the " Old Catholics." B. has a good system of education, under the supreme direction of a minister of public instruction, to whom certain members of the provincial governments, specially instructed to watch the educational interests of the communities, are subordinate. They, again, have numerous inspectors under them, who make systematic reports. Nevertheless, in upper and lower B., about one fifth of the children are yet without a school education. Besides elementary schools, there are about 30 gymnasia, and numerous Realschnlen and technical schools of various kinds. The three Bavarian universities are at Munich. Warzburg, and Erlangen, the latter being Protestant. There are several extensive libraries in B., that of Munich being the largest in Germany. Art has been zealously cultivated in B., and since the days of king Louis I. has becu peculiarly fostered by the state. There are numerous institutions for the furtherance of painting, sculpture, and music.