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 ITALY

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ITALY

in recent times, especially in Tuscany and on the Li- gurian Riviera, which has an exceptionally favourable climate for this industry. Unfortunately, notwith- standing so many favourable conditions, agriculture, which is a source of great profit in foggy England, in Italy is in a rudimentary state as yet. Between 18G7 and 1906 there were reafforested, at the expense of the Government and with its assistance, 114,000 acres, costing in all .?1,700,000, a very small showing in the presence of the serious problem of reafforestation.

(2) Live Stock. — There is not much raising of live stock in Italy, not enough even to supply the home demand, in which that country is behind the nations of Central and of Northern Europe ; and it is not easy to understand why agriculturists do not profit by the advantages offered by the Government in this con- nexion. The animals that are chiefly raised are oxen, horses, asses, mules, goats, sheep, and hogs. On account of the natures of the different peoples, in northern Italy is found chiefly the raising of the larger animals, while on the peninsula the raising of smaller animals is prevalent. Poultry and eggs are a special source of wealth; still their supply is not equal to the demand. The fisheries, of river and of sea, are neglected by the Government; each year there is a retrogression in these pursuits that is stayed by the co-operative efforts of a few fishermen of the Adriatic shores of the Marches, assisted by their priests.

(3) Minerals. — In view of the lack of coal, Italy is not very rich in mineral products, although lignite, anthracite, and peat are not scarce. It is the first coun- try in the production of sulphur, however, as we have seen, when speaking of Sicily; formerly there was no competition in this commodity, l)ut now California has closed the American markets to the Italian prod- uct. Italy abounds in salts (Salsomaggiore and Vol- terra); it is rich also in iron ores of the best quality, found in the regions of Brescia, Bergamo, and Co- masco, and more especially in the island of Elba. In Ligiiria, Piedmont, and Venice is found coppc i 1 ut more abundantly in Tuscany, near Campigh i M irit tima, where there is a great establishment for snit Itnif, the ores of Lanzi and of Mt. Temperino; these mines were known to the Etruscans and to the Rom ins \\ ho left there the traces of their industrial spirit The greatest yield of mercury is obtained from the mines f Grosseto, near Mt. Amiata, and from those of '^leii In 1906 the total production of minerals, in whith 69,224 workmen were employed, amounted to a \ iliie of .?20,000,000. Another source of wealth to It il> are the quarries that produce valuable materials for con- struction, as pozxolana (cement), volcanic tufa, cal- cite, sandstone, etc., and stone, such as decorative and statuary marbles, granite, slate, peperine etc., as well as other materials for use in the arts, such as pumice stone, lithographic stone, asbestos, and colouring clays, etc. Italy is rich in thermal and in mineral wa- ters that compare favourably, from the therapeutic standpoint, with those of other countries, and they could be made the sources of considerable profit, if they were competently exploited. .A.mong these ther- mal waters special mention should be made of those of Acqui (Alessandria), Salsomaggiore (Parma), Te- lese (Benevento), and Bormio. Among the mineral waters, the following obtain highest favour: Monte- catini (Tuscany), Recoaro (Venice), San Gemini and Nocera (Umbria), and Ischia and Casamicciola (Naples).

Of late years Italy has not been idle in regard to the redemption of lands: from 1884 to the present time nearly 4,000,000 acres have been retleemed, whether by the process of fiUing-in, by draining, or by the use of hydraulic machines. In lOO.'i the King of Italy, at the petition of the American agriculturist Lubin, in- itiated the establishment of an International Agricul- tural Institute which, totally independent of all polit-

ical connexion, should study agricultural conditions in the different countries for the general good. All the Powers accepted the initiative and appointed each a representative in accordance with it, so that the in- stitution is now an accomplished fact.

(4) htdustries. — Industries and manufactures fell from the prosperous condition in which they were in the Middle Ages when Italy was the teacher of other countries. Political dissensions, internal strife, and lack of technical instruction, the want of capital, and an exaggerated protectionism produced a certain re- laxation and want of care, in consequence of which national industry neither followed the progress of the times nor even produced the supply required by national demand; and it fell entirely upon the dis- covery of steam, which revolutionized the economy of

D iiSTE Tl\OLI

peoples and of states. But in recent years Italy has reawakened and, notwithstanding obstacles in the way of development, increased by an exaggerated and ill-advised fisealism, has made notable progress in its industrial life, especially through the intelligent efforts of its northern population, to the extent, in fact, of attaining the highest ranks in the silk industry, as well as in those of cotton, wool, leather, of the metals, and of alimentary products (cheese, salted meats, and pastes). Notable also are the soap industry, the chemical products and the paper industries, the manu- facture of artistic furniture, of jewellery, of objects in straw, matches, glasses, beads, porcelains, majolica, mosaics, and, in general, all of the artistic industries, due to the natural good taste of the Italian people. Visitors to Italy take into the country from $60,000,- 000 to .$80,000,000 each year. .Available fuel and motor power are the mea.sure of industrial activity, and in 1887, in which year regular investigations on these points began, the amount of fuel used in the industries aggregated a tonnage of 4,004,065, representing a value of $18,000,000 while, in 1905, according to the most recent statistics, the tonnage was 6,912,183, with a value of $33,000,000. The importation of coal alone, deducting the amount of that commodity that was exported or entered