the Austro- Hungarian Empire. 375 



began his career in Hungary and Austria, full of English 

 ideas, but that he relinquished most of them, as unsuitable 

 to the climate. The present owner believes highly in town 

 manure carted from Vienna, but not in " artificial" manures, 

 or even in cake fed upon the land. He adopts a suburban 

 system of farming, sending as much as possible into Vienna, 

 and bringing back manure. He also applies refuse from glue 

 works, and dissolved bones prepared at home. A neighbouring 

 proprietor, Baron Hopfen, had been trying experiments with 

 various artificial manures upon mangold, but without much 

 effect. The water lies near the surface, and can be easily 

 reached by open cuttings. This is taken advantage of by the 

 peasants, who grow cabbages on square panes, and water them 

 from intersecting trenches. Rye-stubbles were, at the time ot 

 my visit, already broken up and sown with buck-wheat. 



MORAVIA, AUSTRIAN-SILESIA, AND BOHEMIA. 



Ten days were devoted to a rapid tour through these three 

 rich provinces of the Austrian Empire. The contrast between 

 them and Hungary is very marked, and is exhibited in the 

 undulating and picturesque character of the landscape, the greater 

 prosperity of the peasants, and the more thorough cultivation of 

 the land both upon large and small properties. The same 

 system of proprietor-farming is followed, but the estates are not 

 so extensive as in Hungary. The land is often exceedingly 

 rich, and commands a high rent when it is let, English imple- 

 ments are in constant use, both among the peasants and upon 

 the large estates. Hungarian oxen are largely used for pur- 

 poses of draught, and merino sheep are kept, unless in rare 

 cases, or where sheep have been given up altogether as unpro- 

 fitable. 



The first estate visited was that of Gciding, the property of 

 the Emperor ; a fine tract of excellent land, partly in Hungary 

 and partly in Moravia. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the 

 landscape here. There are no trees or hedges, but the long strips 

 of peasant-land, under various crops, running straight over the 

 hills, and hanging as it were on the horizon, are very effective. 

 The poplar alleys traversing the estate, the white villages, and 

 rich cultivation, all contribute to the exquisite beauty of the 

 scene. 



I was informed that 35.<;. per acre would be the letting value 

 of this land, and in some cases even 70s. is given for the 

 purpose of growing sugar-beet. The average return or profit 

 to the proprietor is 42^. per acre, while it occasionally amounts 

 to as much as 90s. The capital required to stock and farm it 



