44 INTRODUCTION. 



assigns to him the appellation of his domiciliary 

 village. Few among them are so rich, as to 

 possess great estates in land ; and there are but 

 few families having prudence and industry, that 

 do not own an acre of ground. In this situation 

 of the country, much of the farm work is by the 

 hand. 



Except their mountains, the Swiss have but 

 little pasture grounds. The cattle are driven 

 into the Jura in May, and returned thence in 

 October, when from heavy frosts they can no 

 longer be sustained by the herbage of the moun- 

 tain. The value of the vine ground is such, that 

 they have crowded on to the acre more plants 

 than should be given to it, a mistaken economy, 

 which is yielding progressively to the experience 

 of time, as it is found in such plantations, that 

 from a 'dense foliage the rays of the sun are so 

 shut out, that they do not derive the full advan- 

 tage to be attained from a more judicious plant- 

 ing. It is easily perceived when such is the 

 case, that all tillage and weeding must of neces- 

 sity be the work of the hand. This is generally 

 performed by the women and children, as being 

 the lighter part of the labour, though the men 

 also, at times of less pressing requirement, are to 

 be seen in the vine grounds in the seasons of 

 weeding. The profession of vine dressing in 

 Switzerland, forms a distinct and separate branch 

 of agriculture ; and I have seldom observed the 

 vigneron mixing in the ordinary business of the 

 farm, nor, in fact, has he time at command for 

 such employ. The regular system of labour re- 

 quired in a well ordered vineyard, affords but 



