the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 353 



growth of fine wool ; but as this commodity is likely to give way 

 to longer and coarser wools, there will be less inducement to 

 preserve these poor grazing grounds. 



In other localities natural pastures of better qualit}' were 

 observed, and I must especially notice a fine tract of 1(300 acres 

 in extent, situated at Tarnok, in the midst of a singularly rich 

 district of the Presburg Comitat. It is divided into two parts 

 by a fine avenue of poplars, and further, into square portions, of 

 from 8 to 16 acres, by rows of trees. One or more of these por- 

 tions of meadow is allotted to each district of the PalfFy property. 



Again, in Lower Hungary, I shall never forget the wooded 

 pastures on the sides of the Danube, between Lak and Essegg. 

 They may generally be described as wild in the extreme, tra- 

 versed by almost impassable roads, and grazed by fine herds of 

 cattle. In my notes upon the Bellye estate I find the following 

 passage : — " Drove down to a large rough pasture encircled with 

 woods, where we saw the ' Menes ' or stud of horses attended by 

 the csikos and his boy. The attendants are careful to keep the 

 horses quiet, as when they once begin galloping they are very 

 unmanageable. Then on to inspect a fine herd of young bulls, 

 and leaving them we jolted over very rough ground, requiring 

 careful driving, to the Danube side and along the top of the 

 embankment for some time. Afterwards drove into the wooded 

 pastures through morasses overhung by trees, the air resounding 

 with the croaking of frogs resembling hounds in full cry. The 

 steward who accompanied me shouted in vain for the herdsman, 

 but after an hour's driving we came upon him suddenly with his 

 gulya or herd of cows." Also, " in the middle of the woods 

 came upon a pig colony attended by herds," who constantly 

 remain with them day and night, summer and winter. The 

 swine are sheltered in summer in rough sheds, and in winter 

 remove to a more permanent steading. The land was in a 

 natural state, and the grass was frequently in tussacs or hassocks, 

 but evidently capable of great improvement. No backwoods of 

 America could be more desolate, and for four hours I saw no 

 trace of human habitation. 



Farm Buildings. — The general scheme of the farm-buildings 

 of Hungary is pretty uniform. They form a spacious quadrangle, 

 and are generally arranged as shown in the accompanying 

 figure (next page), illustrating the Maholany buildings on Count 

 John Palffy's estate. 



At Tarnok on the same estate there is a fine granary with 

 spacious cart-sheds and store-houses beneath. The granary is 

 furnished with two floors and a seed floor in the roof. An ingenious 

 sack-lift is used for taking up the grain to the highest floors. 

 A bullock-shed occupies three sides of a square, and is fitted 



VOL. X. — S. S. 2 A 



