r. Thus we are assuredly justified in concluding
that two centuries were necessary, at least for this tract of Germany,
to restore the population and productive power of the country to its
former standard. These assumptions are supported by other observations.
The agriculture of the country, before the Thirty years' war, nay even
the relative proportion of the value of corn to that of silver, at a
time when the export of corn was only exceptional, lead to the same
conclusions.

It is true that during the last two centuries, agriculture, owing to
the mighty effects of foreign traffic, has developed itself in an
entirely new direction. The countryman also now cultivates field
vegetables, clover, and other herbage for fodder, which were unknown
before the Thirty years' war, and agricultural produce is more
lucrative for an equal amount of population. Perhaps our ancestors
lived in a poorer style, and farmed less. We can compare the stock of
cattle. The number of cattle kept now in the villages is precisely the
same as before the war; they have still the short, thick, curly-woolled
Spanish herds, which used to be reared in the pens of the peasants; the
old wool fell in long locks; but judging from the value of the cloth
and stuffs woven from it, and the price of sheep at that time, it must
have been good.

On the other hand, the stock of horses has diminished by three fourths
in comparison with 1634. This striking circumstance can only be thus
explained: that the traditions of the troopers of the middle ages
exercised an influence even upon agriculture; that the rearing of
horses was more profitable than now, on account of the bad roads which
made a distant transport of corn impossible, whilst the lowing of
cattle in the narrow farm-yards of the towns was so general that the
sale of milk and butter paid little; and finally, that a larger portion
of the country people were better able to maintain teams. The breaking
up of the ground was then, as may be seen from the old farm books in
Thuringia, somewhat--but not considerably--less than now. In the
present day the number of goats and of cattle belonging to small
farmers has increased, as also the number of oxen, which probably in
Middle and Southern Germany are now finer and higher bred than
formerly. This is a decided progress of the present day. But on the
whole, reckoning the amount of fodder required, the number of beasts
which are maintained with advantage is very inco