Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/874

* SWITZERLAND. 760 SWITZERLAND. Travers, marble in Uri, Schwyz, and Ticiho, slate in Glarus, and rock-crystals of great beauty, are other mineral products. Agriculture and Stock-Raisixg. The soil is distributed among nearly 300,000 peasant pro- prietors representing nearly two-thirds of the ]iopulation. Jlore than 28 per cent, of the area is unproductive, chiefly the regions above the zone of tillage. Hay and pasturage lands, more important tlian 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 surf.ace is arable. Switzerland derives less sup- port from its agricultural resources than any coimtry of the Continent, excepting Norway. Only Solotliurn, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, and Fribourg, among the cantons, produce nearly enough plant food 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, chielly 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 l)randy 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. Tlie best wine is made in Geneva, Neuch.atel, 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 w-armer soils around Lake Geneva and some other lakes and on the southern slopes of the moimtains. 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 sujiervision. 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. iladeran- thal. Ufernthal, and in Gruyferes. 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 Aiistria and Italy, to make up for the local de- ficienc}' in beef. Next in number are goats (354,034), 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 establislnnents that produce enormous quantities of fry. Manufactures. Switzerland is' a great manu- facturing country, though it lacks coal, iron, and seaports. Its advantages are abundant water power, markets in the adjoining countries in wdiich to buy raw materials and sell manufactured products, good connections with .seaports, and the diligence, perseverance, and skill of the people. Nearly as many persons are engaged in manufactures as in agriculture. Large quantities of the manufacturing output are pro- duced in the homes. The textile and metal in- dustries are of greatest importance. The cotton industry, which competes even with English manufactures, is centred chiefly in the cantons of Zurich, Glarus, Saint Gall, and Appenzell. Swiss cotton cloths noted for fineness of texture and excellence of dyes and prints are sent all over the world. The well-known machine-made lace and embroidery industry of Switzerland employs about 10,000 machines and 17,000 workers in Saint Gall, Appenzell, and Neuchfitel. I'he great centres of the silk industry are Basel, where all kinds of silk ribbons are produced, and Zurich, where dress goods are woven. Watch- making and machinery lead in the metal in- dustries. The most important centres of watcB- making are Geneva, Chaux-de-Fonds. and Loele. Tlie industry was once very prosperous, Imt it has suffered severely of late years from the competition of the machine-made watches of the United States. The Swiss, however, have re- gained a large part of their export trade by the introduction of machinery and the manufacture of the cheaper grades of watches, which they pro- duce by the hundreds of thousands every year, five-sixths of them being sold in foreign coun- tries. The manufacture of jewelry and musical boxes, wood-carving, straw-plaiting, leather-mak- ing, and tanning are also very important indus- tries. The well-known machine works of Zurich, Wintertlnir. and Geneva export a considerable part of their output. Commerce. The average annual foreign trade of Switzerland is: Imports. Exports.. 1885-86 $149,000,000 134,000,000 S18<).500,000 140,000,000 $223,700,000 172.600,000 The largest imports are grain, cattle, and other foodstuffs, cotton, coal, iron, petroleum, and groceries. Nearly all the exports are manufac- tures, such as cheese, wine, silk and cotton goods, watches, fine steel and iron goods (iustrmnents, etc. ), machinery, jewelry, lace, embroideries, and straw-plaiting. Jlannfaeturers do not aim to produce large quantities of cheap stuffs, except that cheap watches have, to a great extent, re- placed the finer grades. They aim to make a reputation for the excellence and fineness of their goods. Nine-tenths of the import trade and three-fourths of the export trade are with Europe, chiefiy with Germany, France, Italy, Great Brit-