dried in the open air, or it may be moulded and kneaded in low
movable boxes, and afterwards dried in the open air, or, finally,
prepared by means of a specially constructed machine. The peat
harvest commences as’ early in the spring as possible, as- soon as
the danger of night frosts is past. In 1897 a peat master was
appointed for Einmarken with some overseers as his assistants.
Before that time, some counties had certain officers engaged' for
the purpose of instructing the population in the exploitation of
the peat bogs. But the matter has not as yet received the atten-
tion in this country which it deserves.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Indberetninger f r a Skogdirekt0ren. Kristiania 1883 ff.
A. Bo b c h g b e v in k , G. SiETBEN og H. Ny som . Saandbog i norsk fl0dningsvcBsm.
D. I . K r is tia n ia 1889. D. ü . De norske flbdningsvasdrag a f A. H e l l a n d .
K r is tia n ia 1894.
A. H e l l a n d . Jordbunden i Norge. (Norges g eo lo g isk e ü n d e rso g e lsc No. 9.)
Kristiania 1893.
FISHERIES
Th e fisheries, together with hunting, are entitled to be considered
the oldest of this country’s livelihoods. More than
a thousand years ago, according to the old sagas, «splendid painted
ships, with sails of several colours» sailed with fish from Norway
to England. In the course of time, the fishing naturally lost its
character as the principal means of subsistence, especially in the
southern parts of the country; but it is still one of the most important
in our land.
The value of the large fisheries, according to the prices paid
to the fishermen at the first sale, has varied during the last
31 years from 14.8 million kr. in 1887 to 29.4 million in 1877.
The average for the period is 22.3 million. This does not include
the proceeds of the «daily fishing» carried on all along the coast
to supply the wants of the people themselves, nor yet all thè
industries and trades that are associated with this occupation.
Thus while the fishermen’s earnings at the large fisheries in
1897 amounted to about 25 million kr., the value of the year’s
exportation of fish alone was about 52 million. The total receipts
of the entire trade, the large fisheries, the daily fishing
for private consumption, and the various extra sources of profit,
cannot amount to much less than 60 million kr., or about 10 °/o
of the estimated total national income. If we compare the
above amount, 22.3 million, which Constitutes the average annual
receipts of the fishermen at the large fisheries, with similar
figures from other countries, it will be seen that the profits of
the Danish fisheries are about 5.5 million, and of the English
about 80 million kr.