The richest corn-growing districts are Hildesheim, GOttingen, and lialenberg, and the marsh-lands near the Elbe and Weser; rye is grown for the purpose of making bread, and largely used by the rural population. The turf obtained from the peat-moors in the n. and n.w. districts'constitntes the only kind of fuel used in sonic parts of the country, and is obtained and consumed in very large quantities. Cattle, horses, and geese are extensively reared in East Friesland and the marshlands; and barley and oats are raised in sufficient quantity for exportation.
The Luneburg and other extensive heaths afford good sheep-walks; and when the heather is in blossom, are resorted to by the keepers of bees, who tend their hives with much care and considerable success. In 1869 there were 213.870 hives, chiefly in the Limeburg district, yielding honey to the value of £40,000. During the same year, it was estimated that there were in Hanover 212.905 horses (upwards of 4,600 stallions); 863,302 horned cattle; 2,150,920 sheep (of which 244,000 Vere merinos); 572,366 swine. and 158,203 goats. In East Friesland, large flocks of geese are reared; the flesh of which is salted and exported; while large quantities of butter and cheese are annually exported from the same localities, The rivers and hikes of Hanover yield an abundance of fish, and ,there are upwards of 2,500 well-stocked fish-ponds in the kingdom. Salmon is obtained in large quantities in the Weser. The carried on from Emden, whence it is prosecuted with considerable enterprise, the boats going not unfrequently as far as the coasts of Scotland. The forests on the Harz mountains and their offshoots yield large quantities of wood, chiefly pine and oak, while the valleys grow tobacco mid some good fruits. - The mineral resources of Hanover are rich and varied, including iron, copper, silver, lead, sulphur, zinc, coal, cobalt, vitriol, alum, arsenic, lime, gypsum, marble, pipe-clay, kaolin, freestone, slate for tiles, salt, obtained from 18 works, etc. In 1875 the annual production of sonic of the chief minerals were estimated as follows; Iron, 2,682,100 cat. (1 centner = 100 lbs.); lead, 169,000 cat.; salt, 1,092,000 cat.; coal, 2,300,000 cat. About one-third of the iron and one-fourth of the salt are obtained from the mines of the state, and it is estimated that 35,000 persons are employed in the different mining operations of Hanover.
Commerce, trade, which has undergone some augmentation since Hanover joined the German Zollverein (q.v.) in 1854, is still very unimportant and undeveloped notwithstanding the numerous favorable conditions presented by the navigable rivers of the Hanoverian states, their good _ports, well-kept high-roads, and extended railways. Besides mining, agriculture, and the rearing of cattle and other animals, the chief branches of industry are sugar,-relineries, and the manufacture of tobacco, paper, hemp, thread and linen, leather, brick's, pipes, etc.
The exports consist mainly of mineral products coarse linens and canvas, honey and wax, feathers, wood, wool, horses, cattle, wheat and rye, butter, hops, rape and linseed, oil-cakes, hams, and sausages. The imports comprise English manufactured goods, colonial products, wine and spirits, and silk. Emden is the principal trading port, but the chief sea-trade of the country is effected through Hamburg and Bremen, while Han over has an extensive commission and transit business with Leipsic and Frankfort-on the-Main. Besides Emden, Pappenberg, Marburg, Lehe, and Leer, are rising into some note as trading ports. Hanover has good high-roads, and its postal system is well organ ized. The length of its post and high-roads is estimated at upwards of 3,800 in., and that of the lines of railway in operation (in the year 1875) at 660 miles. The telegraph lines are about 700 in. in extent.
revenue amounted, according to the budget for 1861-62, to 19,588,322 dialers (the tinder = 2s. 10/d.), while the expenditure for the same year was 19.763,041 tiders. The national debt had risen, in 1861, to 46,344,836 thalers, including a debt for railways of 30,623,075 thalers.
army numbered nearly 27,000 men. The service was for a period of 7 years, the last year's service, however, being limited to the reserved corps. The prin cipal fortresses are those of Stade, Harburg, and Fort-William, in the harbor of Bremen. Hanover furnished 15,230 men to the German confederation, and had 4 votes in the plenum, or full council of the diet.
Eduelition, population of Hanover, in 1871. was 1,964,527. Of these there were—Protestants, 1i713,711; Roman Catholics, 233,800; different Christian sects, 3,284; Jews, 12,799. Religious matters are under the direction of Lutheran (evangelical) and reformed consistories at Hanover, Stade. Otterndorf, Aurich, Iladelu; the see of Osnabrilek, which is held alternately by a Roman Catholic and a secular, Protestant bishop; and the Roman Catholic see of Ilildesheim. Hanover, like other countries of northern Germany, is amply provided with educational institutions. It has one university at Gottingen, 17 high and 13 lower gymnasia, 5 normal and 21 polytechnic -schools, it military academy at Hanover, a "Foundation Pathegogium " at Ilefeld, schools of surgery and midwifery, of Which that at Celle is the most esteemed, schools for the blind, deaf and dumb, and about 3,600 free parish schools, which are in most cases dependent upon the local church party, whether Protestant or Catholic. There are also several good mining and forest schools in different parts of the kingdom.