CORN DISTRICTS OP SOUTHERN EUROPE. 349 



trouble to reap the more distant fields, but merely clear such 

 as are in the immediate neighbourhood of their respective vil- 

 lages. How important, to these people, in every point of view, 

 would be the ordinary facilities for commerce ! What a motive 

 for industry, and most probably what an improvement to the 

 national character, had they the means of turning the produce 

 of their fields to account ! As it is, the habit of allowing the 

 precious fruits of the earth to be wasted, because no immediate 

 profit can result from securing them, must be full of mischief 

 to the proprietors, and to the peasantry, inducing general im- 

 providence and carelessness. Let us hope that in the course 

 of improvement which seems rapidly advancing in foreign 

 countries as well as in our own, the commerce of Spain will be 

 greatly increased, and the produce of Old Castile, Leon, Estre- 

 madura. and Andalusia, (said to be the finest corn-countries in 

 the world,) will at length be turned to rich and profitable use. 

 Latterly we have begun to import corn from Bilbao, Santander, 

 and other ports in the north of Spain. The supplies brought 

 to Bilbao are, however, principally from a distance of 130 or 

 ] 40 miles ; and, owing to the badness of the roads, and the 

 deficient means of conveyance, the rate of carriage advances 

 enormously when there is a brisk demand. 



The only port of Southern Europe from which any consider- 

 able quantity of grain is to be had, is Odessa, a flourishing 

 port of Southern Russia, situated on the north-west coast of 

 the Black Sea. All the products brought down the Dniester 

 and the Dnieper rivers are exported from Odessa ; but owing 

 to the cataracts and shallows of those rivers, which make their 

 navigation dangerous, a large proportion of the corn is conveyed 

 to Odessa by land, and this by a less expensive method than 

 might be supposed. Carts laden with corn, and drawn by 

 oxen, are to be seen slowly wending their way towards Odessa, 

 in parties of about one hundred and fifty together. The time 

 chosen is that in which the peasantry are not occupied with 

 harvest work ; and as the oxen are pastured at night, no time 

 is unnecessarily lost during the journey. Two kinds of wheat 

 are shipped at Odessa, hard wheat and soft ; the latter is the 

 most abundant, and is the only kind that finds its way to this 

 country. The hard wheat is a very fine grain, chiefly sent to 

 Italy for making maccaroni and vermicelli. 



Contrary to the practice of the northern ports, the voyage 

 from Odessa is generally made during the winter months ; but 

 at all seasons it is a long and uncertain voyage. The reason for 

 preferring to make it in whiter is, that in summer the wheat is 



