52 



HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part I. 



is stacked, and the corn cleaned by throwing it with shovels, &c. The corn is laid up 

 till wanted in oval excavations in dry ground, which are covered with tiled roofs. The 

 excavations are lined with straw ; one holds from twenty to an hundred sacks, and being 

 covered with straw, is heaped over with earth. In this way it is kept in perfect pre- 

 servation a year or longer, and untouched by insects. The lupins sown after wheat, are 

 often ploughed-in for manure ; sometimes French beans are substituted and the ripe seeds 

 used as food, or turnips are sown for cattle. They have few sorts of turnips that are 

 good ; and Sismondi complains that half of them never bulb. Maize is sown in drills, 

 and forms a superb crop in appearance, and no less important, constituting the principal 

 food of the lower classes in every part of Italy where the chestnut does not abound. 

 When the male flowers of the maize begin to fade, they are cut oiF by degrees, so as not 

 to injure the swelling grain ; the leaves are also cut off about that time, cattle being re- 

 markably fond of them. In the plain of Bologna, hemp, flax, and beans, enter into the 

 rotation. 



283. Cattle in the plains are kept constantly in close warm houses, and fed with weeds, 

 leaves, or whatever can be got. The oxen in Tuscany are all dove colored ; even those 

 which are imported from other states, are said to change their coat here. They are guided 

 in the team by reins fixed to rings which are inserted in their nostrils ; sometimes two 

 hooks, jointed like pincers, are used for the same purpose. In general, only one crop 

 in four is raised for the food of cattle, so that these are not numerous ; it may thus appear 

 that manure would be scarce, but the Tuscan farmers are as assiduous in preserving 

 every particle both of human and animal manure as the Flemings. 



284. The farm-houses of the j)lain of ^^its^ 3 7 

 Tuscany, according to Lasteyrie (^Coll. 

 de Mach, &c. ), are constructed with more 

 taste, solidity, and convenience than 

 in any other country on the Continent. 

 They are built of stones generally, in 

 rubble work, with good lime and sand, 

 which becomes as hard as stucco, and 

 they are covered with red pantiles. 

 The elevation {fig. 37.) presents two. 

 deep recesses, the one a porch or com-"' 

 mon hall to the ground floor, or husban- 

 dry part of the edifice (a) ; and the other 

 above it to the dwelling family apartments. 

 The ground floor consists af this porch, 

 which is arched over (a), a work-shop 

 (6), a harness and tool-room (c), pigstye 

 (rf), poultry house (e), a stove (/), 

 staircase {g), stable (A), cow or ox house 

 (J), and sheep house (k). The dwelling 

 floor consists of the upper gallery or 

 open hall (Z , which serves as a sort of 

 kitchen work-room or scullery, a kitchen 

 (m), a master and mistress' room {n), a 

 girls' room (o), and a boys' room ( jt;), a 

 store room (5-), and silkworm room (r). 



285. The j)easa7its, or farmers, of the 

 plains are for the most part metayers ; their 

 farms are from five to ten acres, each hav- 

 ing a house and offices, like that just de- 

 scribed, towards its centre. Some pay a 

 fixed rent on short leases ; and some hold 

 farms on improving leases which extend 

 to four generations. They are more than 

 economical; never taste butcher meat 

 but on Sunday. The three repasts of 

 the other days are either of porridge of 

 maize, and a salad ; porridge of bread 

 and French beans, seasoned with olive 

 oil ; or some sort of soup. In general the whole family remains at home, and aid their 

 parents in performing the labors of the farm. Seldom any but the oldest son marries ; 

 and when the father dies he succeeds in his turn, and his brothers and sisters serve him as 

 they did their father till they die off", and are replaced by their nephews and nieces. Such 



s the state of things ^yhich, as Chateauvieux has observed, is the result of early civilization 

 and excessive population. 



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