It is characterized by the small extent of arable land (of cereals in the first place) and by a great development of natural and artificial meadows, which, together with the high mountain pastures, feed a thriving livestock. This state of affairs is the consequence of natural conditions (generally mountainous or hilly soil with steep slopes; too low temperatures and insufficient insolation in many areas; very intense humidity which, while it does not favor arable crops, is instead very suitable for the development of meadows. ), to which human factors have also been added, such as the high cost of labor, for which the products of indigenous agriculture, with the spread of modern means of communication, could not withstand the competition of those imported from abroad, where they are produced at a much lower price. Fodder crops and livestock require less labor, while the dairy industry produces priced products that are easily placed on the foreign market. On the other hand, from the middle of the century. XIX, industry has acquired ever greater importance in comparison to agriculture (including livestock breeding) and has stolen an ever greater number of arms: in 1870, of the people exercising a profession, 42.21% was employed in “soil production” (this category actually includes the number, albeit very small, of people employed in forestry, hunting, fishing and mining), 38.08% in industry and trades, 5, 33% in trade, 1.33% in transport; in 1930 the agriculture only employed 21.6%, industry 44.6%, trade 14.6%, transport 4.3%. It should be noted, however, that, with the spread of increasingly improved systems, the yield of agriculture and livestock has increased and that today’s farmer dedicates himself to agricultural work more intensively than in the past, when he often also carried out industrial processes. craftswomen.
Just under a quarter of Switzerland’s territory (22%) is made up of unproductive soil. The agricultural and forest area (31,938.1 sq km) consists of 30.7% of forests, 34.8% of pastures; remain: 11,007 sq. km. (about 34% of the agricultural and forest area) and of these 81% is occupied by natural and artificial lawns, only 10.7% by cereal crops, 6.1% by other fields and 1, 1% from vineyards.
At the northern end of the state, in the canton of Schaffhausen and in a strip of land at China del Reno, the territory is divided between permanent grasslands, which are associated with fruit growing, and cereal fields (almost always characteristically arranged in strips parallel), with alternation of weed crops (potatoes) and clover. The cattle are almost always kept in the stable. In most of the central plateau and in some valleys of the Jura up to 800-900 m. a form of intensive agriculture is widespread, accompanied by intense livestock farming and the dairy industry. The cultivation of fields is associated with the permanent prairie, in which cereals and weeding crops alternate with forages or artificial grasslands, which are the fundamental crop; also cereal production is partly destined for livestock. The permanent grasslands, which occupy less than ¼ of the total surface in the south-western and central part of the plateau, are gaining more and more importance as we move towards the NE.; they are accompanied by fruit growing, especially in the Lucerne area. The areas where cereals are grown the most are found in the cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Bern, Geneva. As you enter the alpine world, the fields give way more and more to meadows: in all the Prealps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows is the famous dominant of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. occupying less than ¼ of the total area in the south-western and central part of the plateau, they acquire more and more importance going towards the NE.; they are accompanied by fruit growing, especially in the Lucerne area. The areas where cereals are grown the most are found in the cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Bern, Geneva. As you enter the alpine world, the fields give way more and more to meadows: in all the Prealps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows is the famous dominant of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. occupying less than ¼ of the total area in the south-western and central part of the plateau, they acquire more and more importance going towards the NE.; they are accompanied by fruit growing, especially in the Lucerne area. The areas where cereals are grown the most are found in the cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Bern, Geneva. As you enter the alpine world, the fields give way more and more to meadows: in all the Prealps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows is the famous dominant of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. they are accompanied by fruit growing, especially in the Lucerne area. The areas where cereals are grown the most are found in the cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Bern, Geneva. As you enter the alpine world, the fields give way more and more to meadows: in all the Prealps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows is the famous dominant of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. they are accompanied by fruit growing, especially in the Lucerne area. The areas where cereals are grown the most are found in the cantons of Vaud, Friborg, Bern, Geneva. As you enter the alpine world, the fields give way more and more to meadows: in all the Prealps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows is the famous dominant of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. in all the Pre-Alps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows constitutes the dominant note of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced. in all the Pre-Alps and in the Alps up to the great massifs that rise in the heart of Switzerland, the green mantle of the meadows constitutes the dominant note of the landscape; the dairy industry is practiced intensively, and the pasture is practiced.
In the great alpine valleys and in the mountains of central and southern Switzerland – Valais, Grisons, Canton Ticino – the breeding of livestock, based on the meadows of the valleys and lower slopes and on the high mountain pastures, is accompanied by the cultivation of fields, which are also found at great height, and whose product is mainly used for local consumption. In the lower and better exposed areas of the Rhone valley (Valais) and in those of the Canton of Ticino, not only cereals, potatoes, legumes, but also vines and fruit trees are grown. Pastoral semi-nomadism is highly developed in the higher valleys, and sheep and goat breeding is also important in the areas of leaner pastures. Between the area where the villages and real pastures are located, mayens where the flocks stop in spring and autumn and hay is cut in summer.
In the Jura mountains, fodder crops alternate, with alternation of cereals, potatoes, etc., and meadows in the valleys and lower slopes, wooded pastures in the higher areas.
Still towards the middle of the century. XIX it is estimated that about 300,000 ha were cultivated with cereals. of territory; today they have dropped to less than 120,000. The average yield per hectare has indeed increased, but domestic consumption has also grown considerably, and therefore imports. The most cultivated cereal is wheat (about 45% of the area under cereals; in 1932-34 on 59,582 ha. On average 1,297,000 quintals of wheat, 21.7 quintals per hectare, very high yield); it is found exceptionally in Val Monastero up to 1400 m., and also up to 1600 m. Wheat is followed by spelled, rye, oats and barley which are the mountain cereals par excellence.
The cultivation of potatoes (in 1932-34: 46.536 ha., 7.773.000 quintals, 167 per ha., Yield exceeded only by Belgium), almost entirely provides for the internal needs; they are used for feeding, as fodder for livestock, in industry (distillery).
The domestic cultivation of legumes is practiced almost everywhere, but intensive cultivation for sales purposes is not widespread and Switzerland has to import large quantities of them from abroad: it is practiced in the vicinity of large centers, or to supply the raw material to canning factories. ; it is developed in the Seeland region (once a marshy area, which stretches between the lakes of Neuchâtel and Biel: it was reclaimed in the 19th century and is now one of the richest agricultural areas in Switzerland).
Of the industrial plants, only sugar beet (about 1500 ha.) And tobacco deserve mention, but these too contribute only minimally to domestic demand. Flax and hemp have almost disappeared, and attempts to spread mulberry cultivation and silkworm breeding have failed.
On the other hand, fruit growing is important, which also feeds a strong export; it is rarely practiced as a specialized crop (around the lakes of Constance, Zurich, the Four Cantons); fruit trees are usually found scattered on the meadows, especially in the central and north-eastern part of the plateau, in the territory of Basel, in the Rhone valley, in the Canton of Ticino. The most common species is the apple tree (41% of fruit trees in 1929), followed by pear trees, then cherry trees, plums and plums, peaches, apricots, walnuts, etc. The chestnut is found in Ticino and in the lower Valais. The fruit that is not exported is partly consumed fresh, partly used for the manufacture of cider and for distillation, or is prepared in canning factories (Lenzburg, Saxon, Rohrsbach, Meilen).
The cultivation of the vine, which had spread considerably also because the works it requires are well associated with those of the prairies, from the end of the century. XIX, on the other hand, was greatly reduced due to the spread of plant diseases, the increase in the labor force, the competition from foreign wines, the increase in the consumption of beer at the expense of that of wine, etc. The vineyard area decreased from 30,150 ha. in 1898-1900 to 12,760 in 1931-33 (wine production 384,285 hectoliters. The vineyard is located on the shores of the lakes of Geneva and Neuchâtel, in the Valais (where it is increasing), in an area ranging from Lake Zurich to Reno and to the Canton of Schaffhausen for the valleys of Glatt and Thur, in the Canton of Ticino.