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soldner, kuhbauer, (renter, cow-farmer, ) &c. The eastern portion of this 

 district embraces some of the wildest of the Alps. On the laud which 

 is tilled the crops seem as if they grew out of the white dolomitic lime- 

 stone, which is barely covered by a thiu soil, sprinkled with bowlders 

 and outcroppiugs of the rock strata. The average temperature is 46° 

 Fahrenheit ; the rain-fall, 30 to 45 inches. The rain- water collects in 

 natural basins, near which the early settlers placed their dwellings, 

 but as population increased the supply soon became insufficient, and 

 cisterns were built. These were left open, and in summer covered with 

 algai, and defiled by the putrid streams from the numerous dung-heaps 

 and surface-drainage that was allowed to flow into them. 



For a hundred years slight efforts have been made for improvement. 

 The use of cement liniugs and of tiles in place of thatch have been ben- 

 eficial, but the supply falls short every summer, and necessitates toil- 

 some carriage from the distant valley up the steep mountain-slopes. 

 Three remedies presented themselves — artificial reservoirs on a large 

 scale, deep wells, or pumpingengines by the valley-streams below. The 

 last seemed most feasible. The king of Wurtemburg authorized an at- 

 tempt to supply in this way sixty towns, containing 27,500 inhabitants, at 

 a cost of 1,500,000 gulden. Eight streams were selected, and the region 

 divided in eight correspouding districts. In addition to the inhabitants, 

 the stock was to be provided for at an estimate of 40 to 50 liters daily for 

 horses and cattle, and 20 to 25 for sheep, hogs, and young stock. The 

 first proposition from the royal council met with strenuous objec- 

 tions from the inhabitants ; the cost was too great ; the supply insufft- 

 cient, &c., &c., showing a want of confidence in the whole scheme. 

 The town of Justingeu alone, by the efforts of Justice Fischer, expressed 

 a willingness to make the experiment in connection with two neighbor- 

 ing villages, Ingstetten and Hansen. Work was commenced on the 11th 

 May, 1870, and on the 18th February, 1871, though the thermometer 

 was near zero, the water gushed from the hydrants in the high Alps 

 amid the rejoicings of the inhabitants who gathered from far and near 

 to witness the wonderful sight. Communities that strongly opposed the 

 innovation now begged for its introduction, and the government 

 engineer was accordingly instructed to execute the work as rapidly as 

 circumstances would permit. About twenty square miles have been 

 included in the system, at an average cost of 30 fliorins per head, of 

 which one-fourth is defrayed by the general government. The yearly 

 running expenses are about 2 florins per head, the water being raised by 

 overshot or breast wheels ; and the increased value of land, the capacity 

 for keeping more stock, and security against fire, are amply recompens- 

 ing the government and people for the outlay. 



French agriculture in 1874. — The Journal Pratique d' Agriculture 

 says that France during the last year, on the whole, had good harvests of 

 grain, but very poor ones of forage plants. The winter was of moderate 

 temperature, succeetled by severe spriug frosts, occurring as late as May, 

 and inflicting serious injury upon grapes and other fruit. The high tem- 

 perature of summer, though not injurious to wheat, considerably reduced 

 the yield of oats, barley, and mowed crops. The lack of forage shows 

 its legitimate results in the condition of farm-animals in diflereut regions 

 of the country. Scarcity of food compelled the marketing of live-stock 

 with very imperfect fattening. The destructive Phylloxera ravaged the 

 southern vineyards, while the silk industry was embarrassed by the 

 presence of insect enemies. Agricultural hand-labor in some depart- 

 ments was in unusually short supply, and commanded exceptionally 

 high wages. In the agricultural regions where the Phylloxera caused 



