24 TRAVELS THROUGH 



the Venetian (late, that there are publishing many 

 ufeful obfervations , and they begin to fet the 

 fame value upon agriculture, with which the 

 Romans, in the brighteft luftre of their glory, 

 honoured that fcience. The Oeconomical acade- 

 mies, or focieties, at Udiae, Vicenza, and Brefcia, 

 fend their Difiertations to the Magiftrato d'Agri- 

 coltura> and are rewarded for the beft, with confi- 

 derable prizes. 



The profeflbrfliip of agriculture and practical 

 ceconomy at Padua, given to Mr. Pietro Arduini, 

 is a new eftablifhment, and a confequence of this 

 tafte. But I mall rather dwell on Mr. Gio. Ar~ 

 duini's knowlege in mineralogy, which proved 

 very profitable to me. During a long time he 

 directed fome mines in the Tridentine territory, 

 and at Scbio in the Vicentine. Afterwards he got 

 the inipection of the mines of Gtrfalco and Mon- 

 tieriy in Tufcany, near Siena \ where he lived two 

 years, till he was ordered back again into the Ve- 

 netian ft ate. Wherever he lived, he was afiiduous 

 in collecting and obferving. Some of his obfer- 

 vations have been publiftied, in two Letters, to. 

 Mr. Antonio Valifneri, at Padua, in the Raccolta, 

 d'Opufcoli Filologici frej/b Simone Occhi. Several 

 others have appeared in different volumes of the 

 Giornak d' Italia fyettante alia Scienza naturale\ 

 printed at Venice j but flill the greater part is 



kept 



