CHEMICO-AGRICULTUKAL TOUR. 14Y 



cereals, and other plants interesting to the agriculturist. Close to 

 the Botanic garden is the Museum of Natural History, which is 

 very extensive, and possesses a fine collection of birds, fossils, and 

 minerals, which are well displayed and arranged in the extensive 

 suite of apartments in the chateau of Poppelsdorf, which was for- 

 merly the palace of the electors of Cologne, but is now devoted to 

 this very valuable collection of natural history. 



In coming down the Rhine, from Cassel or Mayence to Bonn, 

 not one of the least striking features in the very picturesque 

 scenery there presented is the extent to which the vine is culti- 

 vated, clothing almost everywhere the banks and hills of this por- 

 tion of the river ; and there is scarcely any spot so steep or inac- 

 cessible, if it affords a favorable aspect, on which this plant is not 

 grown ; and much of the natural beauty of the sceuer}'- of the river 

 is thus lost by the manner in which the *more bold and rugged 

 portions of its hills and sloping banks are cut into patches and 

 terraces for the cultivation of this plant. And what still more de- 

 tracts from the picturesque effect produced by its cultivation is, 

 that, instead of its being trained in graceful festoons, it is made to 

 grow round stunted poles, which (in the early season of the year 

 especially, before the vines are in fall leaf) form anything but 

 pleasing objects for the eye to rest on. 



I understand that a number (bf different rotations are adopted by 

 the farmers along this portion of the Rhine, amongst which are the 

 following : 



1st 1 

 2d " 

 8d 

 4th 



5th 

 6th 



7th 

 8th 

 9th 

 10th 



Mr. Banfield, in his little work on the Rhine, states that a com- 

 mon rotation, on the left bank of the river, in the neighborhood of 

 Coblentz, is the following : 



1st year. Fallow, with 12 to 16 loads of dung to the morgen. 



2d " Rapeseed. 



3d " Wint'^r barley. 



4th " Wheat. 



5th " Clover, with gypsum, 2 cwt. to the morgen. 



6th " Oats. 



