Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 12. (1957)

Nagy Lajos: Mezőgazdaság Pesten a XVIII. században = Agriculture in the town of Pest during the 18th century 133-196

•; ••.••". -. increased and the value of the latter rose substantially ; since, however, there wasneither space nor possibility to build new ones, most probably a part of the gardens and fields in the outskirts were used for these purposes. 3. Arable land. The distribution of arable land took place in the years, around 1718. The distribution began at the Vizafogó district where 94 fields of different sizes were distributed. The total area of these fields, that mostly preserved their character during the whole century, was about 402 % yokes. In the area immediately surrounding the town (inside the ditch called Vonalárok) 133. fields of various size were distributed. In the territory of Terézváros and Józsefváros fields were rather mixed up with farmsteads, but in the Ferencváros district, to the south of the present Körút (great boulevard)

, they formed large contiguous areas. The number of these fields systematically decreased, and their character underwent a change ; they were transformed into farmsteads, gardens, and building-sites. From the pasture-area fields were distributed in two districts, where the soil was rather wet. One of these districts was situated on the left side of today's Soroksári street between the Közvágóhíd (slaughter-house) and Kén street. This area measured 78 % yokes. Considerably larger was the block of arable land distributed by the town council in a district described as "ausser der Türckischen Schuld-Wacht" (outside the Turkish posts). The area of these fields was 460% yokes. At the end of the 19th century the farm lots designated as "Törökstrázsa" (Turkish watch-posts) district still existed in their original form. Here, too, changes were brought about only in the course of the great country plannings of the 20th century. Concerning agricultural production few data — and only dubious ones at that — are at our disposal. It is an established fact that the main produce was rye. The quantities produced however were not sufficient to cover either the requirements of the population for cereals or the want for corn fodder. 4. Meadows. The meadows adjacent to the line formed by the streamlet Rákos-patak werea Iways the most valuable parts of the agricultural surroundings of Pest. About 1718 as many as 420 meadows were distributed here. The width of the plots was generally 15 fathoms according to the cadastral register. Their length varied as a consequence of natural conditions. They were directed from north-east to south-west, i. e. perpendicular to the town limit. The inclination of these meadows had a decisive influence on the formation of the network of streets in the present Zugló district as these lots remained unchanged until the end of the 19th century. The total area of the meadows was — according to a survey in 1788 — about 3933 yokes. The meadows were frequently exposed to the inundations of the Rákos-patak. Protection against the floods was sought from the middle of the last century in cutting various canals and regulating the streamlet. The meadows were also considered as belonging to the town houses and were distributed on this basis. At the time of the distribution meadows were still abundant. Sixty house-owners received even several meadows. Tater the requirements for meadows increased but the original distribution was left unchanged. Citizens who did not own a meadow could, in the first half of the century, only get grassland in one of the ranches called "puszta" that were leased by the town. In the second half of the last century even such possibilities ceased to exist. 5. Vineyards. In the cadastral register 711 vineyards were recorded in the course of the 18th century. Citizens and inhabitants of Pest began to cultivate vine in the years after 1710 on the Kőbányai Őhegy (Old Mountain of the Quarry,, later a district of Pest), in some fields "in der Rakos Rieth, in der St. I^orenzer Rieth, in der Ackher Rieth, in der untern, mittein, obern Steinbrucher Rieth", in the environs of the Lusthügel and Sandtberg, along some farm roads, beside one another but not closely bordering on each other; the parts of the field blocks beside the farm roads planted with vinestock surrounded the inner parts not taken in cultivation as yet. These lots then were enlarged in the backward direction. Parallel to this kind of expansion the citizens continued to take possession of the arable land still available. So the further development of the ,,dűlő" (unit of fields) 194