184 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. Part I. 



wines in the world, besides being blest with the clearest water, the most salubrious air, 

 and a freedom from all noxious reptiles. The first view of the island is particularly 

 magnificent ; the country rising in lofty hills from eveiy part of the coast, so steep as to 

 bring very distant objects into the foreground. The sides of these hills are clothed with 

 vines as high as the temperature will admit ; above this they are clothed with woods or 

 verdure to their summits, as high as the sight can distinguish ; except those columnar 

 peaks, the soil of which has been washed away by the violent rains to which those lati- 

 tudes, and especially such elevated parts, are liable. Deep ravines or valleys descend 

 from the hills to the sea, and in the hollow of most of them flows a small river, which 

 in general is rapid and shallow. The soil is clay on the surface ; and large masses of 

 it, as hard as brick, are found underneath. The island, it is said, when discovered by 

 the Portuguese, was covered with wood ; and the first step taken by the new settlers was 

 to set fire to the wood. This conflagration is said to have lasted seven years, and to have 

 been the chief cause of the fertility of the soil ; but whatever may have been the effect at 

 first, this fertility could not have lasted for three centuries. 



1148. The lands of Madeira are cultivated on the metayer system ; in entailed estates 

 leases cannot be granted for a longer period than nine years ; but in no case can the 

 tenant be dismissed till he is paid the full value of Ids improvements. 



1149. The vine is cultivated chiefly in the French, but partly in the Italian, manner. In the low grounds 

 it is suffered to grow to a considerable height, and tied to trees, poles, or trellises ; on the sides of the hills 

 the terrace culture is adopted, and there the plants are kept lower, and tied to single stakes or low trellises. 

 The variety of grape cultivated is what in France is called the Rhenish, a sort of small black cluster ; but its 

 character is greatly altered since its transplantation to Madeira. The grape from which the Malmsey 

 Madeira wine is made is the Ciotat of the French, or parsley-leaved muscadine with a white berry. The 

 quantity of genuine malmsey produced annually is very small ; and of that a good deal is supposed to be 

 manufactured with refined sugar. The quality of the wine here, as every where else, depends more on 

 the aspect and soil than on the kind of grape. The best is grown on the south side of the island, on the 

 lower declivities which point towards the south-east ; the west being always cooled by the sea breeze. 



1150. Wheat is grown on lands previously prepared by the culture of common broom.. This is cut for 

 fuel, and, after a time, grubbed up and burnt on the soil. By these means, a crop of wheat is insured for 

 a succession of years, more or less, according to the soil ; after which the same process is again resorted to. 

 For this purpose, the seeds of the broom are collected, and generally bear the same price by measure as 

 wheat. 



1151. The live stock are not numerous. Animals of all sorts, as in most mountainous 

 countries, are small. The beef and mutton appear to a Briton lean and tasteless ; 

 common poultry are small ; but ducks and turkeys equal those of England. Pork is 

 rare, but excellent when well fed. 



1152. The tropical fruits are not readily produced here. In the villages are found 

 guavas, bananas, oranges, and shaddocks. Pine-apples are reared with great difficulty ; 

 but neither the granadilla nor the alligator pear, though they grow vigorously, produces 

 fruit. 



Sect. V. Of the present State of Agriculture in North America. 



11 53. The climate of this region, which extends from the vicinity of the equator to the 

 arctic circle, is necessarily extremely various. In general, the heat of summer and the 

 cold of winter are more intense than in most parts of the ancient continent. The middle 

 provinces are remarkable for the unsteadiness of the weather. Snow falls plentifully in 

 Virginia, but seldom lies above a day or two. Carolina and Florida are subject to in- 

 sufferable heat, furious whirlwinds, hurricanes, tremendous thunder, and fatal lightnings. 

 The climate of the western parts is least known ; that of California seems to be in general 

 moderate and pleasant. 



1 1 54. The surface of North America is nobly diversified with rivers, lakes, mountains, 

 and extensive plains, covered in many places with forests. Its shores are, in general, 

 low, irregular, with many bays and creeks ; and the central parts seem to present a vast 

 fertile plain, watered by the Missouri and its auxiliary streams. New Mexico in surface 

 is an alpine country, resembling Norway and Greenland ; Labrador, and the countries 

 round the Hudson Sea, present irregular masses of mountain covered vsdth eternal snow. 

 In general, all the natural features of America are on a larger scale than those of the old 

 world. {Darby s View of the United States, 1826.) 



1 1 55. The agriculture of North America is chiefly that of the north of Europe : but 

 in the provinces near the equator the culture of the southern parts of Europe prevails ; 

 and in the West India Islands that of the warmest climates is followed ; there being no 

 production of any part of the world which may not be there brought to perfection. 

 After this general outline of the agricultural circumstances of North America, we shall 

 select some notices of the agriculture of the United States, the Spanish dominions in 

 North America, British possessions, unconquered countries, and North American 

 Islands or West Indies. 



SuBSECT. I. Of the jiresent State of Agriculture in the United States. 



1156. The climate of the United States must necessarily vary in its different parts. In 

 the north-cast the winters are very cold and the summers hot, changing as you proceed 



