356 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 the rich lands I enquired about belongs to 

 monafleries, who let them out to farmers 

 at a very moderate rent, which is paid in 

 kind : the meadows are mown four times a 

 year, and yield at the four mowings fix 

 loads of hay an acre, which fix loads are 

 worth 61. The fyftem of the open field 

 culture is here quite different from what it 

 is in France, where open fields muft be 

 managed as agreed upon by a great variety 

 of farmers, and one man, in objedling to 

 an improvement, may prevent it for many 

 others. Here, on the contrary, though 

 uninclofed, every man cultivates his fpot as 

 he pleafes, his neighbour having no right to 

 turn cattle into the lands, till every one 

 has got his crop in barn, whatever fort it 

 rnay be. This is a very great fuperiority 

 for the Spanifli farmer, and accordingly he 

 makes ufe of it with much induftry ; nor 

 lias any thing furprifed me more than the 

 miftaken idea I had received of Spanifh 

 lazinefs : nothing fo far from the truth. 

 Here is, every where, an uncommon ap- 

 pearance of induftry in all the branches of 

 agriculture. They cultivate wheat, barley, 

 rye, buck-wheat, millet, maiz, and a va- 

 riety 



