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Section III
Neu-Pasua,
A Short Homeland
Book
By Mathias Huber
Translated by Henry Fischer,
Edited by Rose Vetter
Condition of the
Acreage
The land is divided
equally in all three
locales in terms of
cultivated land, meadows
and pasturage.
Alt-Pasua has
4,825
Joch (the amount of land
a man can plough with an
ox in one day) of
cultivated land, 1,547
Joch of meadows, 1,445
Joch of pastureland and
household gardens.
Neu-Pasua has 2,090
Joch of cultivated land,
1,343 Joch of meadows,
175 Joch of household
gardens.
Woika has 5,047 Joch
of cultivated land,
1,405 Joch of meadows,
1,936 Joch of pasture
land and 425 Joch of
household gardens.
The quality of the soil is first
class. The German fertilizes and
works his land the best. The Slav
relies on whatever nature provides,
does not fertilize and works
haphazardly; his acreage is
cultivated primarily by sowing two
different crops simultaneously;
little with wheat but more with
oats, barley and maize (corn). The
result, even in good years, does not
meet the entire needs of the Slovaks
and Slavs; they have to make up for
that by selling livestock. The
Germans in comparison produce more
than they require for themselves.
The danger of flooding existed only
in Woika. The owners of the land
are enlisted Grenzer. Day
labourers, tradesmen and such only
have their house and gardens as
property.
There are no exemplary
businesses or farm
operations. There is
seldom a shortage of
hay. Only the Germans
and Slovaks bring in a
second crop of hay. The
growing of fruit is
poorly developed and is
intended only for their
own use.
Produce and
Businesses
There are no
vineyards. There is no
lime kiln. There are no
factories except for the
silk spinning works of
Petrovic in Alt-Pasua
that employs 40 to 50
women. There are
distilleries operated by
the owners of the
vineyards but only for
their personal
consumption. Coal
mining and the lumber
industry do not exist
due to the fact that
there are no forests.
Livestock Rearing
Only to be found among
the Grenzer families.
The Slovaks and Slavs
raise small stunted
horses without stables.
Germans rear larger and
better horses.
Grenzer
raise
a good breed of horned cattle.
The Germans and Slovaks milk cows;
the Slavs milk sheep. Pigs are
raised to meet their own needs and
there are no goats. Both oxen
and horses are used for ploughing and
field work. Only the
Germans stable their
livestock.
Prices: one horse
costs 30 to 40 Florin
(Guilder); one ox 50 to
60 Florin; one cow 30 to
40 Florin; a pair of
sheep 8 to 10 Florin; a
pair of swine 15 to 20
Florin. The livestock
prices for the Germans
are half as much
higher.
Trade and Commerce
There are no weekly
markets. In Alt-Pasua
there are two trade
fairs annually with
articles for
agricultural and
household use. Commerce
in these three locales
was centered on meeting
the daily needs by the
local shopkeepers. In
Alt-Pasua there were
three major stores to
meet the local needs and
those of the surrounding
area. Corn trading took
place in all three
locales. The largest
store in Alt-Pasua was
operated by the
merchant, Petrovic. The
exporting of trade goods
was by ship on the
Danube and Sava Rivers.
The prices varied. A
peck could be purchased
for 1 Florin and 36
Kreuzer and sold for 2
Florin and 14 Kreuzer in
around 1848.
Trade in Iron
Trade in iron was
unimportant and carried
on by merchants in the
area.
Trade in Horned
Cattle
The merchants,
Petrovic and Ljubischa,
were engaged in this
trade and also dealt in
fattened cattle, which
were primarily delivered
to Austria.
[Published at DVHH.org 18 Aug 2009]
Next:
Section IV:
The Populace;
Schools, Houses, Nutrition;
Clothing, Women's Clothing; Head Covering;
Footwear; Traditions and Customs; Superstitions; Entertainment and
Amusements
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