Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 12. (1957)

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

of Szentlőrinc was continued southwards and even two new ones (lyerchental and I^rchenberg) were taken under cultivation. In the years after 1750 the Óhegy was full partly through the expansion of the old owners, partly as a consequence of the plantations of the new proprietors. The area planted with vineyards was at the end of the century 937,555 square fathoms, more than eight times as large as in 1720. Then followed the occupation of the Újhegy (New Mountain) where planting of vine on a large scale was carried out from 1760 on. The total area of these vineyards amounted to 114,073 square fathoms at the end of the century. Citizens and inhabitants of Pest owned vineyards also outside Pest. Of these the oldest are those on the hillside of Buda. In 1784 inhabitants of Pest owned a vineyard area of about 30,000 square fathoms in Buda. In like manner as in the vineyards in Buda, citizens of Pest began cultivation of vine already before the independence war led by Rákóczi, on the territory of the ancient Promontorium of Csepel, the area of to-day's Budafok. Here the area of the vineyards amounted to 711 700 in 1784. In Budaőrs inhabitants of Pest were in possession of vineyards already in 1730 and the area comprised in 1784 343 000 square fathoms. Besides, citizens of Pest owned some vineyards also in Óbuda, Szada and Veresegyháza. At the middle of the century inhabitants of Pest planted about 82 500 square fathoms with vine in Nagytétény. Thus the total area of vineyards owned by inhabitants of Pest in the 18th century was quite considerable, amounting to 2 908 828 square fathoms. Only little more than one third of this area was territory belonging to the town of Pest. 6. Pastures. The greater part of the agricultural surroundings of Pest were used in the course of the 18th century as pastures. These pastures were of a very inferior quality. Thus in spite of the great extension of the pasture areas these were always a source of trouble for the agricultural population of Pest. To meet the demand for pasture, the town — from 1696 on — systematically and continuously took on lease "puszta" areas adjacent to Pest. So from the Wathay family the area of the Gubacs, Szentlőrinc and Péteri puszta was taken on lease until 1738, with an interruption lasting from 1724 to 1730. From 1741 the agricultural district of Keresztúr was taken on lease from the Podmaniczky family and from 1742 the praedium of Alag too. In the years after 1730 animal husbandry in Pest made rapid headway. The taking on lease of the "puszta" areas made pasturing possible for burgesses and cottars alike without any restriction, against a tax which made up for the rent paid by the town. As a consequence of the increase of the town's population — especially after the foundation of the suburbs — the citizens raised the issue of restricting the keeping of animals by non-citizens. In 1746 the lease of Alag came to an end and the Podmaniczky family likewise took back the area let on lease earlier to the town of Pest. From this date the citizens of Pest could not obtain a pasture by lease anywhere. Thus after 1745 the town of Pest had to content itself within its own limits, and the further development of animal husbandry was checked. The poor pasture within the town limits could not keep many animals. At the end of the century, according to a conscription, no more than 793 horned cattle were counted in Pest. III. The role of agriculture in the life of the town When examining the period before the war for independence led by Rákóczi we came to the conclusion that at the beginning of the 18th century the town was definitely of an agrarian character, and this character was represented in the first place by the Hungarian and Serbian population, although the rather lively interest in agriculture of the craftsmen and merchants of German nationality must not be left out of consideration. A great part of the Hungarian population however left the town during the Rákóczi war of independence. Thus the number of farm hands and day-labourers diminished. For the craftsmen and merchants settled in Pest after the war of independence the town life did not offer opportunity to 13* 195