AGRICULTURE AND STOCK-RAISING. The soil is distributed among nearly 300,000 peasant pro prietors representing nearly two-thirds of the population. More than 28 per cent. of the area is unproductive, chiefly the regions above the zone of tillage. Bay and pasturage lands, more important than the cultivated lands, cover 36 per cent. of the surface; the area under forests is 18.4 per cent., while only 16.5 per cent. of the surface is arable. Switzerland derives less sup port from its agricultural resources than any country of the Continent, excepting Norway. Only Solothurn, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, and Fribourg, among the cantons, produce nearly enough plant fond for their own consumption. Wheat is grown up to 2500 feet above sea level, but the crop averages only about 3,500,000 bushels, while over 11.000,000 bushels are imported from other countries, chiefly Russia and Hungary. Rye, oats, and potatoes are the chief crops, but potatoes are imported in large quantities. During the tourist season of 1901 the amount of vegetables brought into the country was about 20,000 tons, of which nearly two-thirds came from Germany, France and Italy contributing most of the re mainder. The cultivation of fruit is in a flourish ing condition and nearly all the cantons manu facture wine or spirits from it, such as the cherry brandy produced at Basel. In 1901, 78,931 acres were in grapes, the cultivation of the vine com manding careful attention in most of the cantons. The best wine is made in Geneva. Neuchatel, and Valais. The wine produced (35,800.000 gallons in 1901) does not cover the domestic demand. Orchards are planted everywhere in sheltered places and grapes thrive especially in the warmer soils around Lake Geneva and some other lakes and on the southern slopes of the mountains. The warmer cantons of the south also produce chestnuts, almonds, walnuts in abundance, olives, and even lemons. Switzerland is no long
er so rich in timber as formerly, for unscientific forestry has thinned the woods to a large extent. The entire forest area is about 3300 square miles, of which a large portion is now under Govern ment supervision. Every effort is being made to restore this source of wealth to its former magni tude. and in 1901 there were planted 23.731.376 trees.
As the climate and soil are especially favor able for hay and pasturage. the animal indus tries are more important than tillage. In com parison with cattle (1,340,375 in 1901) the other domestic animals are much inferior in number and importance. Cattle-breeding is carried on in all the cantons, and in the higher regions it is the chief and sometimes the only resource of the inhabitants. Switzerland is famous for its cheese, and the chief agricultural industries are the manufacture of cheese and condensed milk. The annual production of cheese amounts to about 500,000 cwts., of which three-fifths is exported to all quarters of the globe. The best cheeses are made in the Emmenthal, .1Taderan thal. Ilfernthal, and in Gruyeres. Many Swiss cattle are exported for breeding purposes, while, on the other hand, the great influx of tourists in summer makes it necessary to import an average of about 50,000 beef cattle a year, chiefly from Austria and Italy, to make up for the local de ficiency in beef. Next in number are goats (334,634), which abound in the higher Alpine cantons and are reared for their skins. flesh, and milk. In 1901 the horses numbered 124,896; mules and asses, 4866; sheep, 219,438; and hogs, 555,261, The lakes abound in fish, and pisci culture is promoted by 155 establishments that produce enormous quantities of fry,