PRODUCTION OK INDUSTRY
741J
Rome, the Basilicata, and Sardinia. In Upper Italy the agreement is usually for nine (sometimes other multiples of three) years ; in Southern Italy for two, four, or six years, according to local customs.
Large farms (la grande coltura) exist in the neighbourhood of Vercelli, Pavia, Milan, Cremona, Chioggia, Ferrara, Gro.sseto, Rome, Caserta, and iu Apulia, the Basilicata, Calabria, and at Girgenti and Trapani in Sicily. In Italy generally the land is much subdivided.
the area of Italy comprises 28,658,900 hectares. Of this area, 20,238,000 hectares (70*6 per cent.) is productive, 4,647,451 hectares (16 "2 per cent.) unproductive, and 3,773,449 hectares (13*2 per cent.) produces little or nothing. Agriculture is generally in a primitive condition. The areas and produce of the various crops in 1895 and produce in 1896 and 1897, so far as officially ascertained, are shown in the following table : —
Area
Produce |
_
Total
Per
Hectare
1895
1895
1895
1896
1897
Hectares
Hectolitres
Hectares
Hectolitres
Hectares
Wheat .
4,593,000
41,499,000
51,180,000
30,630,000
9-03
Maize
1,957,000
24,838,000
23,160,000
21,074,000
12-69
Oats
474,000
6,764,000
—
—
14-28
Barley
297,000
2,620,000
3,544,000
—
9-11
Rye .
137,000
1,413,000
—
"""
10-30
Rico
163,000
5,994,000
3,761,000
6,430,000
36-86
Pulse
849,000
4,080,000
—
—
4-84
Quintals
Quintals
Quintals
Quintals
Hemp
105,000
757,000
—
—
7-18
Flax
52,00C
203,000
—
3-90
Potatoes .
209,000
7,022,000
—
33-67
Chestnuts
412,000
2,633,000
1,633,000
—
6 40
Hectolitres
Hectolitres
Hectolitres
Hect.
Wine
3,462,000
24,246,000
28,396,000
25,959,000
7-00
Olive oil .
1,034,000
2,894,000
1,912,000
1,290,000
2-80
Kilogrammes
Kiloga'ammcs
Kilogrammes
Kilog.
Tobacco .
5,245
6,743,000
5,911.000
6,210,000
1-287
Silk cocoons .
—
41,152,000
39,844,000
36,726,000
Plants
Number
Number
Number
Per plants
Acid fruits
17,085,000
3,337,400,000
3,464,000,000
—
19-5
The wheat yield in 1898 was 47,000,000 hectolitres. The area under tobacco in 1896 was 4,902 hectares ; in 1897, 4,798 ; regarding other crops, there are no more recent statistics than those given in the table.
In 1890 Italy had 5,000,000 cattle, 6,900,000 sheep, 1,800,000 goats, 1,800,000 swine. In 1897 Italy exported 37,226 and imported 17,850 cattle ; exported 38,603 and imported 8,134 sheep ; exported 887 and imported 5,152 goats ; exported 40,066 and imported 3,779 swine. In 1895 the pro- duction of wool was 9,777,000 kilogrammes, of the value of 16,725,000 lire.
Silk culture, though flourishing most extensively in Piedmont and Lombardy, is carried on all over Italy. In 1895 there were 550,048 persons employed in rearing silkworms, and 172,000 skilled and other workers (in- cluding nine-tenths women and children) were employed in the treatment and manufacture of silk. The production of silk in 1896, was 3,083,000 kilo- grammes ; in 1897, 2,916,000 kilogrammes.
In the census of December 31, 1881, there were 5,024,826 malesof 15 years of age and upwards described as engaged in agriculture. The entire agricul- tural population, male and female, of 15 years and upwards, was thus about 10,000,000.
