probably somewhat too low, but in any case they show approximately the course
the changes in price have taken. Since 1888 these prices have become, to a
certain degree, dependent on the import duties, as they were during the period
before 1858. During the years 1858—87, cereals, on the other hand, could be
imported free of duty into Sweden.
Finally, the s tr aw -h a rv e st is also a somewhat important feature of the
cultivation of cereals. On an average the straw-crop obtained from winter
grain (wheat and rye) is estimated at about 30 quintals per hectare or a little
more, and that obtained from the spring cereals at about 20 quintals per hectare
or a little more. The total amount, then, at the present time, is about
15 million quintals of winter grain straw and about 24 million quintals of spring
grain straw, or altogether 39 million quintals. Other calculations give somewhat
higher figures.
Root-crops.
Of root-crops proper (illustrations, see p. 53) there are cultivated in-
Sweden, besides potatoes, the white beet-root, turnips, and Carrots. The
development of this cultivation is shown, as far as the area of the land
employed for the purpose is concerned, by the figures in Table 22, which,
however, for other root-crops than potatoes, do not date farther back than
to 1865, the year when the annual agricultural statistics first began to be
issued.
The cultivation of the potato was introduced into Sweden in 1723 by Jonas
Alstromer, but, as in most other countries, the new departure at first met with
great distrust on the part of the people. Even at the beginning of the 19th
century, the cultivation of the potato had not attained greater proportions than, as
it is estimated, about 5 000 hectares. Growing experience of the value of the
T ab le 22. Returns for Potatoes and other Root-crops.
A n n u a 1
P o t a t o e s O t h e r r o o t - c r o p s
1 v area
hectares
crop ; quintals 1 crop, quintals 2
total per
hectare per inhab hectares total per
hectare
1801—10 . 7100 693 000 97-6 0-25
1811-20 . . . 15 400 1 554 000 100-9 0*56 —
1821—30 . 39 400 4 242 000 107-6 1-37 — —
1831—40 . j -. 1 56 500 5 418 000 95-8 1-57 -1':- ■' — — JT
1841—50 . . . ! 76 500 7 070000 92-4 1-86 — __
1851—60 . . . 97 100 8 869 000 91-3 212 — T-#;;
1861—70 . . . 129 000 9 800 000 75-9 2-02 9 301 — —
1871—80 . . . 150 252 12 569 000 83"6 2-41 11485 963000 84
1881—90 . . . 155096 12 850 000 82-8 2-75 17 650 2 504 700 142
1891—00 . i . 157 547 12 221106 77-5 2-48 34 510 8 136 000 235
1901—10 . . . 153 246 14 797 000 96*5 2-79 70 670 18 205 800 257
1911 . . . .- . j 152 783 14 403 830 94-5 2-57 103 965 29 318 605 282
1912. . . 16 222 920 2-89 31604 878
1913 . . . . . | 152 429- 20511810 134 3-63 105171 39 723 620 377
1 Calculated weight, 70 kg per hectoliter, which, however, is probably a somewhat high
figure for Sweden; since 1913 the figure 67 kg per hectoliter has been used. — 2 Calculated
weight, 55 kg per hi for fodder root-crops.
ROOT-GROPS. 67
T able 23. Cultivation of Potatoes and Root-crops. Average for 1901 1 0 .
A r e a C r o i a
L a n Hectares In % of whole
Kingdom's Quintals In % of whole Kingdom’s
potatoes
rootcrops
potatoes
rootcrops
potatoes rootcrops
sugarbeet
p otatoes
rootcrops
sugarbeet
Stockh.
Uppsala
Soderai.
Òsterg.
Jonkòp.
Kronob.
Kalmar
Gotti, j
Blekinge
Krist.
Malmòhus
Halland
Gòt.o.Boh.
Àlvsb..
Skarab.
Vanni.
Òrebro
Vàstm.
Kopparb.
Gàvleb.
Vàstern.
Jàmtl.
Vàsterb.
Norrb.
5 872
3 955
4 261
6 361
7224
7 986
7420
2 834
8668
22 677
12 231
5 549
4 074
9 064
9 654
8477
5 799
3220
3 495
3 661
4 706
1646
2 941
1471
578
555
1161
2 607
2 050
1084
2 416
3135
1373
11980
30 274
3 201
411
1129
4 596
548
1305
562
735
159
238
225
2521
■ 89
3-83
2-68
2-78
4-15
4'71
5-21
4-84
1-85
5-66
14-80
7-98
3-62
2-66
592
6-30
5-53
3-79
2-10
2-28
2-39
3"07
1-07
1-92|
0'96|
0-82
0-79
1-64
3-69
2-90
1-B3
3-42
4-44
1-94
16 95
42-84
4-53
0-58
1-60
6-50
0-78
1-85
0-80
1-04
0-22
0-34
0-32
0-3'6
0-12
648 887
359311
340 372
589 667
685 657
861 337
632 378
253 050
870 016
2 313103
1367 530
567 226
428 353
—812 007
684343
896 580
442 407
284 909
475193
410 597
353 564
141095
227 720
151531
169626
165 143
350 289
529 252
548 306
217 005
398 225
153 973
300 631
1 820 685
2174190
920 308
85156
255 255
876 725
74 725
288 176
144 328
273495
65 283
36113
43 970
19 943
28 205
113 497
81539
479 063
80 787
1096 821
6 279 738
91155
45726
4-39
2-43
2-30
3-99
.4-63
5-82
4-27
1-71
5-88
15-63
9-24
3-83
2-90
5-49
4-62
6-06
2-99
1-93
3-21
2-78
2-39
0'95
1-54
1'02
1-71
1-66
3-53
532
5-62
2-18
4-01
1-55
302
18-32
21-88
9-26
0-86
2-57
8-82
0-75
2-90
1-45
2-75
0-66
0-36
0-44
0'20
0-28
1-37
0-99
5-79
0-98
13-27
75-95
1-10
0-55
Kingdom 1158 246 70 663j| 100 oo| lOO oo 14 796 833|9 939 007 8 268 326 lOOooj ioo-oo| 100-oo|
UaaVr* ■M M - ’ pernaps an equally great. experience of its
ability as raw material in the manufacture of spirits, brought about, from this
L H a H , mcrease in its cultivation, so that, at the middle of the century
. area devoted; to the cultivation of the potato had risen to about
T. . ectares. At the close of the century, this area had been almost doubled
I m f i S S m the ^ v e s t , which is. shown by the diagram on p. 68, has been
I Th same ratio as the increase in area.
L i 6 , ™ 8 6 “ Jhe crop-produce per area-unit which is shown to have taken
[which ™11S S eI; beginning of the 19th century was succeeded by a decline,
[was tp T "1 Pr®bably be explained by the fact, that the cultivation of the potato
whprp 1 °Ve ,, B | small plots of kitchen-gardens ground out to the fields,
f t a j i H Mention was paid to the land, and the care of the plants. I t is
(which h ttmes that the returns per hectare have shown a decided increase,
[varieties ch^in “ f ? 7 S °f the d e d u c t io n of new and more productive
of imnrn™^6 7 foreign origin; probably, top, it has been in part the result
where manuring, especially in the most southerly parts of the country,
[table Th . maniu'es ve come into fairly general use also for this vege-
bmpared m'+h tah°'Ci ° * ■ f I B t f » ! in Sweden is, however, still fairly low as
That i l p i 1 m B 3 of tinngs m the rest of Western Europe (see Table 13).
[vourable not of the northerly position of Sweden, or other unfavests
in i S l p ^mimstances is, however, quite probable, as the potato-har-
neignbounng countries are greater than in Sweden — in Norway being