Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 21.djvu/379

Rh GEOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS.] SAXONY 357 plain, two-fifths as hill country, and two-fifths as mountain land. The slope is very regularly from south-east to north- west, in the direc- tion of the shorter ;ixis. The chief mountain range is the Erzgebirge, stretching for 90 miles along the south border, and reaching in the Fichtelbergs (3979 feet and 3953 feet) the highest elevation in the kingdom. The west and south-west half of Saxony is more or less occupied by the ramifications and subsidiary groups of this range, one of which is known from its position as the Central Saxon chain, and another lower group still farther north as the Oschatz group. The south-east angle cf Saxony is occupied by the moun- tains of Upper Lusatia (highest summit 2600 feet), which form the link between the Erzgebirge and Rieseugebirge in the great Sudetic chain. North-west from this group, and along both banks of the Elbe, which divides it from the Erzgebirge, extends the picturesque mountain region known as the Saxon Switzerland. The action of water and ice upon the soft sandstone of which the hills here are chiefly composed has produced remarkable formations of deep gorges and isolated lantastic peaks, which, however, though both beautiful and interesting, by no means recall the characteristics of Swiss scenery. The highest summit attains a height of 1830 feet; but the more interesting peaks, as the Lilienstein, Konigstein, and the Bnstei, are lower. With the trifling exception of the south-east of Bautzen, which sends its waters by the Neisse to the Oder, Saxony lies wholly in the basin of the Elbe, which has a navigable course of 72 miles from south-east to north-west through the kingdom. Comparatively few of the numerous smaller streams of Saxony flow directly to the Elbe, and the larger tributaries only join it beyond the Saxon borders. The Mulde, formed of two branches, is the second river of Saxony; others are the Black Elster, the White Elster, the Pleisse, and the Spree. There are no lakes of any size, but mineral springs are very abundant. The best known is at Bad Elster in the Voigtland. Climate. The climate of Saxony is generally healthy. It is mildest in the valleys of the Elbe, Mulde, and Pleisse, and severest in the Erzgebirge, where the district near Johanngeorgenstadt is known as Saxon Siberia. The average temperature, like that of central Germany as a whole, varies from 48 to 50 Fahr. ; in the Elbe valley the mean in summer is from 62 to 64, and in winter about 30; in the Erzgebirge the mean temperature in summer is from 55 to 57, and in winter 23" or 24. The Erzgebirge is also the rainiest district, 27^ to 33i inches falling per annum ; the amount decreases as we proceed northwards, and Leipsic with an annual fall of 15^ to 21^ inches enjoys the driest climate. Soil, Saxony is one of the most fertile parts of Germany; and in regard to the productive occupation of its soil it stands among the most advanced nations of the world. Only 1 per cent, of the total area is waste or unused. According to the returns for 1883, 557 per cent, of the area is under agriculture, 11 '7 in pasture and meadow, 27 '4 under forest, and 4 '2 occupied by buildings, roads, and water. The lowest lands are the most productive, and fertility diminishes as we ascend towards the south, until on the bleak crest of the Erzgebirge cultivation ceases altogether. Saxon agriculture, though dating its origin from the "Wends, has received its full development only in the present century. Long fettered by antiquated customs, the land was subdivided into small parcels and subjected to vexatious rights. But in 1834 a law was passed providing for the union of the scattered lands belonging to each proprietor, and that may be considered the dawn of modern Saxon agriculture, which has now reached a very high pitch of excellence. It has been fostered both publicly and privately, and a special official secretary assists the minister of the interior in attending to this branch of national prosperity. In 1883 the agricultural lands in Saxony were divided among 192,000 farmers or proprietors, of whom only 758 held 250 acres and upwards, 28,200 between 25 and 250 acres, and the rest less than 25 acres. The small pro- prietors held 287 per cent, of the total area, the middle class 57 '2, and the large owners 14 *1. The richest grain districts are near Meissen, Grimma, Bautzen, Dbbeln, and Pirna. The chief crop is rye, but oats are hardly second to it. Wheat and barley are grown in considerably less quantity. Very large quantities of potatoes are grown, especially in the Voigtland. Beet is chiefly grown as feeding stuff' for cattle, and not for sugar. Flax (8270 acres in 1883) is grown in the Erzgebirge and Lusatian mountains, where the manufacture of linen was at one time a flourishing domestic industry. Saxony owes its unusual wealth in fruit to the care of the paternal elector Augustus (1553-1586), who is said never to have stirred abroad without fruit seeds for distribution among the peasants and farmers. Enormous quantities of cherries, plums, and apples are annually borne by the trees round Leipsic, Dresden, and Colditz. The cultivation of the vine in Saxony is respectable for its antiquity, though the yield is insig- nificant. Wine is said to have been grown here in the llth century; the Saxon vineyards, chiefly on the banks of the Elbe near Meissen and Dresden, occupied 2515 acres in 1883. Live Stock. According to returns made for 1883 Saxony con- tained 126,886 horses, 651,329 cattle, 149,037 sheep, 355,550 pigs, and 116,547 goats. The breeding of horses is carried on to a very limited extent in Saxony, more than nine-tenths of the horses required being imported. Cattle-rearing, which has been an industry since the advent of the Wends in the 6th century, has attained very considerable importance on the extensive pastures of the Erzgebirge and in the Voigtland. Sheep-farming has consider- ably declined within the last few decades, as in most parts of northern Germany. While other classes of domestic animals have retained very much the same proportion to the number of the human population, sheep have decreased from one to every six inhabitants in 1861 to one to every twenty in 1883. In 1765 the regent Prince Xaver imported 300 merino sheep from Spain, and so improved the native breed by this new strain that Saxon sheep were eagerly imported by foreign nations to improve their flocks, and "Saxon electoral wool" became one of the best brands in the market. The high level was not long maintained ; flock-masters began to pay more attention to quantity than to quality of wool, and the Saxon wool has accordingly deteriorated. In 1868 no less than 1,166,130 Ibs. of wool were offered for sale in the wool markets of Saxony, of which Leipsic and Dresden are the chief; in 1884 only 276,843 Ibs. were offered. Swine furnish a very large proportion of the flesh-diet of the people. Geese abound particularly round Leipsic and in Upper Lusatia, poultry about Bautzen. Bee-keeping flourishes on the heaths on the right bank of the Elbe ; in 1883 there were 53,756 bee-hives in Saxony. Game is not now very abundant; hares and partridges are shot in the plains to the north-west. Forests. The forests of Saxony are extensive, and have long been well cared for both by Government and by private proprietors. The famous school of forestry at Tharandt was founded in 1811. The Voigtland is the most densely wooded portion of the kingdom, and next comes the Erzgebirge. About 8,379,200 acres, or 85 per cent, of the whole forest land, were planted with coniferous trees ; and about 1,439,700 acres or 15 per cent, with deciduous trees, among which beeches and birches are the commonest. About 30 per cent, of the total belongs to Government. Minerals. The mineral wealth of Saxony is very considerable ; and its mines are among the oldest in Germany. Silver was raised in the 12th century, and argentiferous lead is still the most valuable ore mined ; tin, iron, and cobalt rank next ; and coal is one of the chief exports. Copper, zinc, and bismuth are also worked. Saxon mines now produce about 6 per cent, of the gross quantity, and about 8 per cent, of the aggregate value of metals raised in Germany. - The country is divided into four mining districts : Freiberg, where silver and lead are the chief products ; Altenberg, where tin is mainly raised; Schneeberg, yielding cobalt, nickel, and ironstone ; and Johanngeorgenstadt, with ironstone and silver mines. There are in all 236 mines, but in 1883 only 150 of these were in operation, employing 8615 hands. In 1870 253 mines employed 9132 hands. The total value of metal raised in Saxony in 1883 was 288,200 ; in 1870 it was 314,916. Coal is found principally in two fields, one near Zwickau, and the other in the circle of Dresden. Brown coal or lignite is found chiefly in the north and north-west, but not in sufficiently large quantities to be exported. The number of coal- mines is steadily decreasing, though the numbers of miners and the gross produce are both on the increase. The following table shows the output in tons since the years named : Mines. Hands. Coal. Lignite. Anthracite. Value. 1870 1880 1883 242 189 166 16,811 19,625 20,136 2,608,705 3,622,007 4,088,484 506,687 590,119 648,044 346 345 280 1,083,625 1,363,780 1,510,863 Peat is especially abundant on the Erzgebirge. Immense quantities of bricks are made all over the country. Excellent sandstone for building is found on the hills of the Elbe ; in 1883 266 quarries employed 1348 hands. Fine porcelain clay occurs near Meissen, and coarser varieties elsewhere. A few precious stones are found among the southern mountains. Saxony has no salt-mines. Ittdustries. The Central-European position of Saxony has fostered its commerce ; and its manufactures have been encouraged by the abundant water-power throughout the kingdom. Nearly one-half of the motive power used in Saxon factories is supplied by the streams, of which the Mulde, in this respect, is the chief. The early foundation of the Leipsic fairs, and the enlightened policy of the rulers of the country, have also done much to develop its commercial and industrial resources. Next to agriculture, which supports about 20 per cent, of the population, by far the most important industry is the textile. Saxony carries on 26 per cent, of the whole textile industry in Germany, a share far in excess of its proportionate population. Prussia, which has more than nine times as many inhabitants, carries on 45 per cent., and no other state more than 8 per cent. Nearly 18 per cent, of the population were engaged in this industry in 1882, by far the largest proportion in any German state except Reuss (alterer Lime), which had 36 per cent, so engaged. The chief seats of the