148 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



a plough and the seed sown on the furrow, after which 

 the ground is harrowed. The linen manufactory furnishes 

 the principal occupation of the inhabitants of this 

 country. Towards evening I reached Bringstad, and 

 continued my journey at sunrise. 



' May 17. I overtook seven Laplanders driving their 

 reindeer, about sixty or seventy in number, followed by 

 their young ones. Most of the herd had lost their horns 

 and new ones were sprouting forth. The drivers spoke 

 good Swedish. 



' MEDELPAD. 



' Here the common ling grows more scarce, its place 

 being supplied by a greater quantity of the bilberry. 

 Birch trees became more abundant as I advanced. I 

 spied a brace of ptarmigans. All over the country I 

 this day passed the large yellow aconite is as common 

 as ling on a moor. Not being eaten by any kind of 

 cattle, it increases abundantly in proportion as other 

 herbs are devoured. To the north of Dingersjo stands 

 a considerable mountain, called Nyackersberg, the 

 south side of which is very steep. The inhabitants had 

 planted hop-grounds under it. 1 As the hop does not in 

 general thrive well hereabouts, they designed that this 

 mountain should serve as a wall for the plants to run 

 upon. These hops were very thriving, being sheltered 

 from the north wind and at the same time exposed to 

 the heat of the sun, whose rays are concentrated in this 

 1 Ale (67) is the common drink in Sweden and Norway. 



