34 
In some of the towns (coastal villages) where the soil is sandy, 
considerable quantities of pofafoes are grown, and in southern Iceland, 
aspecially, almost every farm has a little garden where potatoes and 
swedes are raised. Vet the potato and swedes areas do not exceed 500 
hectares in all. In 1923 —1927 the average annual potato crop amounted 
lo 3200 tons, that of Swedish turnips to 1100 tons. Potatoes and 
swedes are grown for human food only, though in far from sufficient 
quantities to meet the country’s requirements, and a great deal of pota- 
toes is therefore imported every year. In 1923—1927 the average im- 
port of potatoes was 2100 tons, or some 40 per cent. of the quantity 
consumed. 
Here and there throughout the country there are extensive peat bogs, 
yielding a pretty good quality of peat which is much used for fuel, 
especially in the rural districts; and during the present century, up fo 
the Great War, as much as 250000 horse-loads were dug every year. 
But after the War broke out the output of peat increased enormously, 
owing to the excessively high prices of coal and the risk with which 
its importation was attended. In 1918 the quantity of peat dug reached 
its maximum (577 000 horse-loads), but thenceforward it has been gradu- 
ally decreasing, and had in 1928 come down to 285000 horse-loads. 
The forests are used not only as sheep-runs, but are also cut for fuel. 
During the first decade of the present century it is considered that 
about 9000 horse-loads of fire-wood were cut, on the average, every 
year. This in 1911—1915 increased to 13000 horse-loads per annum, 
in 1916—1920, to 22000, and in 1923—1927, to 24 000. 
LIVE STOCK 
According to statistics the live stock in 1928 was as follows: 
Sheep . 
Cattle . 
Horses . . 
Goats 
Poultrv . 
527 140 
30023 
52 245 
2843 
16018 
In proportion to the number of inhabitants Iceland has a larger 
stock of sheep than any other European country, or five to six sheep 
to each person, whereas in the countries (Norway and Esthonia), com- 
ing next after Iceland in this respect, the number of sheep amounts to 
no more than about 60 per cent. of the number of population. The 
kind of sheep reared in Iceland is of Norwegian origin, and belongs 
to the species most common in northern Europe (Ovis Brachvura