284 Hungarian Agriculture, and Improvement in the 
with a plough which has its share almost horizontal. The whole 
of the grain, except the maize, is broad-cast, and rubbed in with 
a brush harrow. As well as I could judge, from the winter crops 
all looking green and well at the time I saw them, the seed is 
sown with great regularity. The maize is put in the ground 
by women who follow after the plough, and with a hoe turn back 
a little mould, drop a few grains, and immediately replace the 
earth. 
At the farm of Keszi the Graf likewise keeps the most exten- 
sive flocks which he possesses in this part of Hungary, consisting 
of about twelve hundred sheep, which have now been ten years 
under improvement. In the care of them he employs one chief 
shepherd and six men. The sheep are divided into flocks of 
from one hundred to two hundred, as circumstances may require ; 
and we arrived just as they were following their shepherds in va- 
rious directions, over a wide extent of sweet pasture resembling 
our English downs. 
Amongst other objects interesting to the agriculturist, was an 
excellent range of cow-stalls, and one of the large bee-houses, 
which are often very valuable in Hungary, but this was some- 
what neglected. 
It was here that we found the finest of all the Hunyadi flocks, 
and that upon which the proprietor chiefly depends for his future 
progress. I shall therefore take this opportunity to speak more 
at large respecting the breed, and the care taken in its improve- 
ment. The original breed of Hungarian sheep is, in fact, the 
real Ovis strepsiceros of authors, covered with very coarse wool, 
and bearing upright spiral horns. Improvement on this stock by 
crosses, with other varieties, is become so general, that a flock 
of the native race is seldom to be met with, excepting upon 
the estates of the clergy. 
The great improvement has been by the introduction of Spa- 
nish blood. Some of the great proprietors have themselves im- 
ported from Spain; others have obtained rams from the flocks 
of the Emperor of Austria, and others from various private sources ; 
so that at present there is scarcely any flock of importance which 
has not derived advantage from the Spanish cross, 
In the year 1773, a royal flock was established at Mereopail, 
to assist in the general improvement. This has, however, been 
latterly somewhat neglected, on account of another since formed 
at Holitsch. The wool is now a great object of commerce. In 
1802, it was ecaleulated that above twelve million and a half 
pfund was exported from Hungary; a large portion of which goes 
into Austria, and is either there ‘fa@nefaarmreds or is carried to 
‘more distant markets; and much of that éhieh 3 is sold in Eng- 
land, under the denomination of Saxon wool, is actually the pro- 
duce 
