Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 13 - From Marx to Mao

AGRARIAN QUESTION AND “CRITICS OF MARX”195rodnik views no less frequently resort to Denmark as their“trump card” against Marxism in support of the theory ofthe vitality of small-scale production in agriculture—take,for example, the speech of the liberal Hertzenstein in theFirst Duma and that of the Narodnik Karavayev in theSecond Duma.Compared with other European countries, “small-peasant”farming is indeed most widespread in Denmark; andagriculture, which has managed to adapt itself to the newrequirements and conditions of the market, is most prosperousthere. If “prosperity” is possible for small-scale farmingin countries with commodity production, then, of course,of all European countries, Denmark is most favourablysituated in that respect. A close study of the agrariansystem in Denmark is, therefore, doubly interesting.We shall see from the example of a whole country whatmethods are employed by the revisionists in the agrarianquestion, and what the main features of the capitalistagrarian system really are in the “ideal” capitalistcountry.Denmark’s agricultural statistics are compiled on themodel of those of other European countries. In some respects,however, they give more detailed information and moreelaborate figures, which enable one to study aspects of thequestion that usually remain in the shade. Let us startwith the general data on the distribution of farms by groupsaccording to area. We shall calculate the “hartkorn”, thecustomary measure of land in Denmark, in terms of hectares,counting 10 hectares to one hartkorn, as indicatedin the Danish agricultural statistics.*Danish agricultural statistics give information on thedistribution of farms for the years 1873, 1885, and 1895.All the farms are divided into 11 groups, as follows: owningno land; up to 0.3 hectares (to be more precise: up to of a hartkorn); 0.3 to 2.5 ha; 2.5 to 10 ha; 10 to 20 ha; 20to 40 ha; 40 to 80 ha; 80 to 120 ha; 120 to 200 ha; 200 to300 ha; 300 ha and over. To avoid the attention of the reader* “Danmarks Statistik. Statistik Aarbog”, 8-de aargang, 1903,p. 31, footnote. All the following statistics apply to Denmark proper,without Bornholm.