1839] 



FARMERS- REGISTER 



215 



that a iiovemment can gradually draw Crom cir- 

 culation a Slim tliaf in ton years exceeded the cur- 

 rent coin of the state, wiliiout causing an appa- 

 rent deficiency in ihe currency; or any inconve- 

 niency whatever. Conclusions of infinite impor- 

 tance are to be drawn from such a i'aci ; it seems 

 to prove, that the general modern policj' of con- 

 tracting public debts, is absurd and ruinous in ihe 

 extreme ; as saving, in the time of peace, is clear- 

 ly wilhout any of those inconveniences which 

 were once supposed to attend it ; and by means of 

 forming a treasure, a nation doubles her nominal 

 wealth, that sort of wealth, which is real or ima- 

 ginary, according to the use that is made of it. 

 The reputation, preventing attacks, is perhaps ihe 

 greatest of all. How contrary to the landing sys- 

 tem, which carries in its nature, such a probability 

 of present weakness, and such a certainty of fu- 

 ture ruin ! 



From Young's Agricultural Tour in Spain. 



IRRIGATION IN SPAIN. 



The prospects down the vale of Aran beautiful ; 

 it is without fallows, fine iiem|) instead of them. 

 Look down on ihe town of Esteredano, around 

 which, culture rises pretty high up the mountains. 

 All the corn cut, is reaped, and bound in sheaves 

 — walnuts. Descend into the vale — figs. Wa- 

 tered meadows. Ray-grass predominates ; much 

 common clover, white clover, trefoil, vetches, &c. 

 A causeway for irrigation across the vale ; the 

 meadows are uncut, and have two and a half tons 

 per acre, on an average; the corn all through, 

 three-quarters an acre. Pass a rich flat common ; 

 part of this vale fed by horses, mules, hogj, asses, 

 and a lew oxen. 



Advancing — what meadows there are, are well 

 watered ; as are French beans, hemp, and a small 

 quantity of lucerne. 



Leave Poeblar; they have lucerne, but not good; 

 the gardens are all watered ; mulberries ; prices 

 of silk this year, 18 liv. the pound. Culiivalion 

 all around, among the olive trees ; but it is corn 

 one year, and fallow another, ('ross the river, 

 which is here sixty yards wide. Wheels for rais- 

 ing Ihe water of ii into the gardens, ten or twelve 

 feel high ; they are of a very simple construction ; 

 something fdie ihe common water-wheels of a 

 mill, but made very light ; the fellies of the wheel 

 are hollow in divisions, taking the waterin through 

 holes at equal distances, and as the stream turns 

 the wheel, it delivers the water out of the same 

 holes at the top of its revolution, into a trough, 

 which conducts it where wanted -. it is cheap, sim- 

 ple, and efl'ectual. Many peach-trees scaitered 

 about the gardens, &c. Mount liie hills ; pass 

 two large tracts, of above one hundred acres, de- 

 stroyed by the torrents. Great quantity of pud- 

 ding-stones. The mountains around are of inte- 

 resting and bold features. The country in general 

 here has a great mixture of cultivation and waste; 

 it is for some space pleasing enough to the eye, 

 but the produce is, I believe, very low ; we saw 

 many oats, and scarcely any that will produce 

 more than a quarter an acre. They ha-'e no 

 meadows; and (should observe, lliat our mules 

 have not found such a thing as hay ; straw and 

 barley are their food ; in all those spots which 

 would give grass, corn and legumes are sown, as 



more necessary and more valuable; and this, I 

 am told, is the case over all Spain, lucerne ex- 

 cepted. 



Near Monte Scliia — they have Iiere poor crops 

 of flat barley : of water, they know well the va- 

 lue, a spring of any account being carefully con- 

 ducted into a reservoir, and let out at seven in the 

 morning and at night to water. 



Advancing — there is some good hemp, water- 

 ed ; and I see enough of the country to find that 

 water is all in all ; where that is to be eonducted, 

 they get crops that pay well ; but where no water, 

 they have not the power or ihe knowledge to turn 

 the soil, however good it may be, to a profitable 

 account ; Itdlow the only effort, and the success 

 every where miserable. 



Cross a fine stream wi'h many acres under it, 

 yet no waterinir ; the reason I cannot tell, unless 

 Ihe land is common ; if so, it is easily explained. 



The soil stoney ; the large, of the pudding 

 class ; bur, in tfie midst of this arid wretched de- 

 sert, come to a spring, which rises out of ihe earth 

 into a small reservoir, and is immediately used for 

 irrigation; maize, hemp, cabbages, beans, and all 

 fine ; the contrast shows the astonishing effect of 

 water, and that in this climate, ihe soil is the least 

 object — the sun and water do the whole. 



Passing Paous ; everything changes the fea- 

 tures; the vale, on comparison with those we 

 have seen, is wide, and also flat, and water plen- 

 tifully conducted in canals, which pass every quar- 

 ter, so as to let into the field of every proprietor ; 

 having passed above one hundred miles of dreary 

 mountain, this vale, so great was the contrast, 

 had the api)earance of enchantment ; the care 

 and attention given to irrigation, cannot be ex- 

 ceeded. The land is prepared lor it, by levelling 

 with a nicety as curious as for making a bowling- 

 green, and this (conducting the water excepted, 

 Vvhich is common to every one), is the only ex- 

 pense: this general level is divided into oblong 

 beds, from six to eight feet wide, by little ridges of 

 fine mould, drawn up nicely with a rake every 

 time the ground is sown, in order that the water 

 may not spread over too much at once, in which 

 case, the irrigation v^^ould be unequal; there 

 would be too much of a current at the part where 

 the water enters, a circumstance of no great im- 

 portance in watering grass-land, but which would 

 be mischievous in arable ; small trenches take the 

 water from the carrier canals, and passing by the 

 ends of those beds, the farmer opens them at plea- 

 sure, to distribute the water where wanted. As 

 soon as the land is sown, it is watered, and peri- 

 odically, till the plants are up ; moderately while 

 they are young: but every day, and sometimes 

 twice a day, when full grown: the effect is sur- 

 prising, and infinitely exceeds that of the very 

 richest manures that can bespread upon any land. 

 The rajjidity of vegetal ion is so great, that there 

 are but lew crops, which demand all the summer 

 for coming to perfection; I believe hemp is the 

 only one ;'^ihat plant is now five to seven feet in 

 height, and of so thick a luxuriance, that nothing 

 can be imagined finer. The rye stubbles are 

 ploughed and sown with French beans, which are 

 up and watered. After hemp, wheat is the crop. 

 Watered maize here, seven to nine feet high. 

 Every lime we see any irrigation, we are struck 

 more and more with the importance of water, even 

 on soils which are apparently mere rock, and on 



