Keith Anderson wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:01:26 +0100, Martin wrote:
>
> >On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:30:11 +0100, Tim C. wrote:
> >
> >>Following up to barney2@cix.compulink.co.uk :
> >>
> >>> The land looked somehow different, too
> >>>- maybe agricultural methods were not the same, or maybe the east and west
> >>>emphasised different crops. I don't know.
> >>
> >>Larger fields in the East.
> >
> >They were ones in the former GDR were collectivised, resulting in some of the
> >most efficiently farmed land in Europe, but nobody mentions that.
>
> And they even shoved a picture of combine harvesters on the back of
> their 5 Mark banknote!
In Prague in 1978 I picked up a calendar in a bookstore, it showed
"typical" Czech scenes -- including that combine harvester for the
"October" page...
I guess in the Soviet Bloc combine harvesters were a symbol of
modernity. In the Bohemian countryside there were still a few horse -
drawn farm wagons at that time, but not many. I don't remember seeing
any in the DDR. Of course they are still common in Poland (during
Communism many farms were small and privately - owned, horses were all
over the place)...
--
Best
Greg
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