COMMERCE
1297
The chief agricultural industries are the manufacture of cheese and condensed milk. Wine is produced in live of the cantons, tobacco in three. In 1911 (last census) there were in Switzerland, 143,723 horses, 1,443 371 cattle, 159,727 sheep, 569,253 pigs, 339,997 goats, beehives, 223,933.
The Swiss Confederation has the right of supervision over the police of the forests, and of framing regulations for their maintenance. The entire forest area of Switzerland is 3,290 square miles, or 2,105,214 acres in extent (com- prising 91,587 acres of cantonal forest, 1,403,772 acres belonging to munici- palities and other corporations, and 609,855 acres of private forests). The district over which the Federal supervision extends lies to the south and east of a tolerably straight line from the eastern end of the Lake of Geneva to the northern end of the Lake of Constance. It comprises about 1,119,270 acres, and the Federal forest laws apply to all cantonal, communal, and municipal forests within this area, those belonging to private persons being exempt, except when from their position they are necessary for protection against climatic influences. In 1876 it was enacted that this forest area should never be reduced ; servitudes over it, such as rights of way, of gathering flrewood, &c., should be bought up ; public forests should be surveyed, and new wood planted where required, subventions for the purpose being sane- tioned. In the year 1912, 20,958,196 trees (chiefly coniferous) were planted, while timber amounting to 2,061,644 cubic metres Avas cut. The free forest districts comprise 1,477 square miles. ■ There were, in 1912, 192 establishments for pisciculture, which produced fry of various species to the number of 82,104,650.
Switzerland though in the main an agricultural country, has a strong tendency to manufacturing industry. There are 5 salt-mining districts ; that at Bex (Vaud) belongs to the Canton, but is worked by a private company ; that at Schweizerhalle (Basel) is worked by the Glenck family ; those at Rheinfelden, Ryburg, and Kaiseraugst (Aargau) are worked by a joint-stock company, in virtue of a concession from the Canton. The output of salt of all kinds in 1910 reached 621,491 quintals. From the various cement works the output in 1910 amounted to 757,503 metric tons. In 1912 there were 8,093 factories in Switzerland (7,907 in 1911). The number of persons employed (1911) was 328,841 (211,077 males and 117,764 females) ; the motive machinery had 515,859 horse-power. In 1910, 146 breweries produced 2, 507, 222 hectolitres of beer.
Commerce,
The special comme ce, including precious metals, was as follows in five years : —
—
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
Imports Exports
£
61,359,064 42,392,115
£ 65,017,381 45,502,805
£
69,801,000 47,835,000
£
72,094,359 50,292,374
£
78,549,416 54,303,866
The following table shows the value of special commerce in 1912:—
1911 and
4 o
