1846.] Jlgricvlhire of Different Countries. 283 



sally cultivated in Ireland, and grow in such perfection there. 

 Even in the United States this vegetable is called the Irish po- 

 tatoe; this however is to distinguish it from the sweet potatoe of 

 the south. The dairy is the best managed part of Irish hus- 

 bandry. 



FRANCE. 



Face of the Country. — France generally exhibits a level but 

 not undiversified surface. The most level tracts are in the north. 

 The picturesque beauty of the hilly parts is heightened by the 

 rich and luxuriant verdure of the chesnut trees. In the south the 

 deep hue of the olive gives rather a sombre look to the landscape. 

 From the mouth of the Garonne to the borders of Spain, the 

 coast consists of a flat, sandy, barren tract, called the Landes, 

 extending thirty miles into the country, and producing nothing 

 but heath, broom and juniper. The remainder of the country is, 

 in general, agreeably diversified with gentle undulations. 



Climate. — The air of the northern part is moist, and there are 

 considerable snows and sharp frosts in winter. At Paris, the 

 Seine is sufficiently frozen to admit of skating. In the central 

 part no snow falls, sometimes, for many years; frosts seldom 

 occur, and the air is pure, light and elastic. The harvests begin 

 from the latter part of June to the middle of July. The south of 

 France, from the Loire to the Mediterranean, is subject to violent 

 storms of hail and rain which destroy the crops. One-tenth of 

 the crop is yearly damaged by the storms. Thunder storms are 

 frequent and violent; they produce cataracts, which rush down 

 the mountains, burying the meadows under heaps of stone and 

 masses of mud, and cutting the sides of the mountains into deep 

 ravines. In most parts of France frosts are commonly late in 

 spring and early in autumn, which do great injury to vegetation. 

 The high country of Avergne is bleak and cold, and all the dis- 

 tricts of the Vosges are affected by the snow which sometimes 

 continues to fall upon these mountains as late as the end of June. 



In the southern provinces the summer is exceedingly hot. The 

 vintage is in September. At the end of autumn violent rains 



