HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part I. 



for consumption and for seed, bladders of tallow, sausages, and other articles of provision, 

 in quantities which it would astonish us to find in an English cottage. We must, however, 

 keep in mind, that the harvest of the Hungarian peasant anticipates the income of the whole 

 year ; and, from the circumstances in which he is placed, he should rather be compared with 

 our farmer than our laborer. The yards or folds between the houses are usually much 

 neo-lected, and are the dirty receptacles of a thousand uncleanly objects. Light carts and 

 ploughs {Jig, 72. \ with which the owner performs his stated labor, his meagre cattle, 

 a loose rudely formed heap of hay, and half a dozen ragged children, stand there 

 in mixed confusion; over which three or four noble dogs, of a peculiar breed, resembling 

 in some degree the Newfoundland dog, keep faithful watch." (Trav. in Hung. &c. 19.) 



613. The agricultural produce of Austria is the most varied of any part of Germany. 

 Excellent wheat is cultivated in Gallicia, where the soil is chiefly on limestone, and in 

 the adjoining province of Buckowine ; and from both immense quantities are sent down 

 the Vistula to Dantzic Wheat, rye, and all the other corns, are grown alike in every 

 district, and the quantity might be greatly encreased if there were a sufficient demand. 

 Maize is cultivated in Hungary and Transylvania ; millet in Hungary, Sclavonia, and 

 Carinthia ; and rice in the marshy districts of Temeswar. Tobacco is extensively cul- 

 tivated in Hungary, and excellent hops are produced in Moravia and Bohemia. It is 

 estimated that about a sixth part of the Austrian dominions is under tillage. The 

 most common rotation is two corn crops, and fallow or rest. 



614. The vine is cultivated to the greatest extent in Hungary. The well known 

 Tokay is raised on the last chain of the Carpathian hills in the neighborhood of the 

 town of Tokay. The district extends over a space of about twenty English miles. 

 " Throughout the whole of this country it is the custom to collect the grapes which 

 have become dry and sweet, like raisins, whilst hanging on the trees. They are ga- 

 thered one by one ; and it is from them alone that the prime Tokay, or, as it is termed, 

 Tokay Ausbruch, is prepared, which, in 1807, sold for 100 florins the cask of 180 

 halbes on the spot. They are first put together in a cask, in the bottom of which holes 

 are bored to let that portion of the juice escape which will run from them without any 

 pressure. Tliis, which is called Tokay essence, is generally in very small quantity, and 

 very highly prized. The grapes are then put into a vat, and trampled with the bare 

 feet, no greater pressure being permitted. To the squeezed mass is next added an 

 equal quantity of good wine, which is allowed to stand for twenty-four hours, and is 

 then strained. This juice, without further preparation, becomes the far-famed wine of 

 Tokay, which is diflScult to be obtained, and sells in Vienna at the rate of 121. sterling 

 per dozen. The greater part of these vineyards is the property of the emperor; 

 several, however, are in the hands of nobles." (Bright' s Travels.) 



615. Another species of Hungarian wine, called Meneser, is said to equal Tokay ; next 

 to that in value comes the wines of (Edenburg, Rusth, St. Gyorgy, and Ofen, followed 

 by a great variety, whose names are as various as the hills which produce them. The grape 

 which is preferred for making the Tokay and other Hungarian wines of that character, 

 is a small black or blue grape, figured and described by Sickler in liis Garten Magazine 

 of 1804, as the Hungarian blue. 



616. Plums are cultivated, or rather planted and left to themselves ; and an excellent 

 brandy is distilled from the fermented fruit. 



617. The culture of sUk is in the least florishing state in Hungary ; but succeeds well 

 in Austria and Moravia. That of cotton was tried, but left off chiefly on account of the 

 unfavorableness of the autumns for ripening the capsules. The mountain rice ( Oryza 

 mutica), from the north of China, was cultivated 

 with success, but neglected during the late wars. 

 '* The greatest advantages which it promised 

 arose from the situations in which it would florish, 

 and the fact of its not requiring marshy lands, 

 which are so destructive to the health of those 

 who are engaged in the cultivation of common 

 rice. " The rhus cotinus is extensively collected 

 from the wastes, and used as a tanning plant, 

 especially in the preparation of morocco leather. 

 Woad is cultivated as a substitute for indigo ; 

 the cyperus esculentus I fg. 73 a.), and the as- 

 tragalus boeticus, (6), as substitutes for coffee ; 

 the seeds of the latter, and the tubers of the for- 

 mer, being the parts used. The acer campestre, 

 platanoides, and pseudo-platanus, have been 

 tapped for sugar, and the A. saccharinum ex- 

 tensively cultivated for the same purpose, but 

 without any useful result. It was found cheaper 

 to make sugar from the grape. The culture of Coffee, olives, indigo, and other exotics, 

 has been tried, but failed. ^ 



