1S4 



HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part L 



1123. The vine is cultivated chiefly in the French, but partly in the Italian manner. In the low grounds 

 it is suffered to grow to a considerable height, and tied to trees, poles, or trellises ; on the sides of the hills 

 the terrace-culture is adopted, and there the plants are kept lower, and tied to single stakes or low trellises. 

 The variety of grape cultivated is what in France is called the Rhenish ; a sort of small black cluster ; but its 

 character is greatly altered since its transplantation to Madeira. The grape from which the Malmsey 

 Madeira wine is made is the Ciotat of the French, or parsley-leaved muscadine with a white berry. The 

 quantity of genuine malmsey produced annually is very small ; and of that a good deal is supposed to be 

 manufactured with refined sugar. The quality of the wine here as every where else depends more on 

 the aspect and soil than on the kind of grape. The best is grown on the south side of the island, on the 

 lower declivities which point towards the south-east ; the west being always cooled hy the sea breeze. , 



1124. Wheat is grown on lands previously prepared by the 

 culture of common broom. This is cut for fuel, and after 

 a time, grubbed up and burnt on the soil. By these means, 

 a crop of wheat is insured for a succession of years, more or 

 less, according to the soil; after which the same process 

 is again resorted to. For this purpose, the seeds of the 

 broom are collected, and generally bear the same price by 

 measure as wheat. 



1125. The live-stock 3cre not XiMvofQtou^, Animals 

 of all sorts, as in most mountainous countries, are 

 small. The beef and mutton appears to a Briton 

 lean and tasteless ; common poultry are small ; 

 but ducks and turkeys equal those of England. 

 Pork is rare, but excellent, when well fed. 



1126. The tropical fruits are not readily pro- 

 duced here. In the villages are found guavas, 

 bananas, oranges, and shaddocks, (^g'. 189.) Pine 

 apples are reared with great difficulty ; but neither 

 the granadilla nor the aligator pear, though they 

 grow vigorously, produce fruit. 



Sect. III. Present State of Agriculture in North America, 



1127. The climate of this region, which extends froin the vicinity of the equator to the 

 arctic circle, is necessarily extremely various. In general, the heat of summer, and the 

 cold of winter, are more intense than in most parts of the ancient continent. The middle 

 provinces are remarkable for the unsteadiness of the weather. Snow falls plentifully in 

 Virginia, but seldom lies above a day or two. Carolina and Florida are subject to in- 

 sufferable heat, furious whirlwinds, hurricanes, tremendous thunder, and fatal light- 

 nings. The climate of the western parts is least known ; that of California seems to be 

 in general moderate and pleasant. 



1128. The surface of North America is nobly diversified with rivers, lakes, mountains, 

 and extensive plains, covered in many places with forests. Its shores are, in general, 

 low, irregular, with many bays and creeks ; and the central parts seem to present a vast 

 fertile plain, watered by the Missouri and its auxiliary streams. New Mexico in surface 

 is an alpine country, resembling Norway and Greenland ; Labrador, and the countries 

 round the Hudson sea, present irregular masses of mountain, covered with eternal snow. 

 In general, all the natural features of America are on a larger scale than of the old world. 



1129. The agriculture of North America is chiefly that of the north of Europe; but 

 in the provinces near the equator the culture of the southern parts of Europe prevails ; 

 and in the West India islands, that of the warmest climates is followed ; there being no 

 production of any part of the world which may not be there brought to perfection. 

 After this general outline of the agricultural circumstances of North America, we shall 

 select some notices of the agriculture of the United States, the Spanish dominions in 

 North America, British possessions, unconquered countries, and North American 

 islands or West Indies. 



Subsect. 1. Present State of Agriculture in the United States. 



1 130. The climate of the United States must necessarily vary in its different parts. In 

 the N.E. the winters are very cold, and the summers hot, changing as you proceed 

 southward. In the S. E., and along the gulf of Mexico, the summers are very hot, and 

 the winters mild and pleasant. Among the mountains it is cold towards the N., and 

 temperate in the S. Beyond the mountains, in the rich valleys of Ohio, Mississippi, 

 and Missouri , the climate is temperate and delightful, till we approach the rocky moun- 

 tains, when it is subject to extremes, the winters being very cold. The climate must be 

 chilled among mountains constantly covered with snow. West of these mountains, the 

 climate cht nges, until we reach the shores of the Pacific Ocean, where it resembles that 

 of the western parts of Kurope. The prevailing winds are from the west, and as they pass 

 over a wide expanse of water, they cool the air in summer, and in winter deluge the 

 country with frequent rain. 



1131. The seasons generally correspond with those in Europe, but not with the equality 

 to be expected on a continent, as even during the summer heats single days will occur 

 which require the warmth of a fire. The latitude of Labrador corresjonds with that of 



