Book I. 



AGRICULTURE IN NORTH AMERICA. 



189 



160 



lamented by all who knew any thing of this intelligent, enterprising, and benevolent 

 character. 



11 73. The want of domestic ser- 

 vants is a considerable drawback in 

 most parts of the United States; 

 but especially in the new settle- 

 ments. Families who remove into 

 Western America, Birkbeck ob- 

 serves, should bring with them the 

 power and the inclination to dis- 

 pense, in a great degree, with ser- 

 vants. To be easy and comfort- 

 able there, a man should know how 

 to wait upon himself, and practise 

 it. In other respects, this gentle- 

 man and his friends hope to live 

 on their estates at the prairie, " much as they were accustomed to live in England.'' 

 An interesting account of the house, garden, and domestic economy of Mr. Hall of 

 Wanborough, a neighbour of Mr. Birkbeck's, will be found in the Gardener s Magazine, 

 vol. i. p. 327. and vol. iv. p. 155. 



1 174. ^s a country for a British farmer to emigrate to, we consider the United States as 

 superior to every other, in two respects : first, on account of its form of government ; 

 by which property is secure, and personal liberty greater than any where else, consistently 

 witli public safety, and both maintained at less expense than under any government in 

 the world : secondly, on account of the stock of people being generally British, and 

 speaking the English language. The only objection we have to America is the climate 

 the long and severe winter, and the rapid and hot spring and summer. Land equally 

 good, and nearly as cheap, may be had in the south of Russia and in Poland ; but 

 who that knows any thing of the governments of these countries, would voluntarily put 

 himself in their power while the United States were accessible ? 



SuBSECT. 2. Of the present State of Agriculture in Mexico. 



^ 1175. The climate of this extensive and recently revolutionised country is singularly 

 diversified, between the tropical seasons and rains, and the temperature of the southern 

 and even middle countries of Europe. The maritime districts of Mexico are hot and 

 unhealthy, so as to occasion much perspiration even in January ; the inland mountains, 

 on the other hand, present snow and ice in the dog-days. In other inland regions, 

 however, the climate is mild and benign, with some snow of short duration in winter ; 

 but no artificial warmth is necessary, and animals sleep all the year under the open 

 sky. From April to September there are plentiful rains, generally after noon ; hail 

 storms are not unknown ; thunder is frequent ; and earthquakes and volcanoes occa- 

 sionally occur. The climate of the capital, in lat. 19 25', differs much frcm that of 

 the parts of Asia and Africa under the same parallel ; which difference seems to arise 

 chiefly from the superior height of the ground. Humboldt found that the vale cf 

 Mexico is about 6960 feet above the level of the sea, and that even the inland plains are 

 generally as high as Mount Vesuvius, or about 3600 feet. This superior elevation 

 tempers the climate with a greater degree of cold j upon the whole, therefore, it cannot 

 be regarded as unhealthy. 



1176. The surface of the country is diversified by grand ridges of mountains, nume- 

 rous volcanoes some of which are covered with perpetual snow, cataracts worthy of 

 the pencil of Rosa, delicious vales, fertile plains, picturesque lakes and rivers, romantic 

 cities and villages, and a union of the trees and vegetables of Europe and America. 



11 77. The soil is often deep clay, surprisingly fertile and requiring no stimulus except 

 irrigation. In some places it is boggy or composed of a soft black earth, and there are 

 barren sands and stony soils in the elevated regions. 



1178. Of the agriculture of Mexico some account is given by the Abb^ Clavigero and 

 the Baron de Humboldt. According to the first author, agriculture was from tinae 

 immemorial exercised by the Mexicans, and almost all the people of Anahuac. The 

 Toltecan nation employed themselves diligently in it, and taught it to the Thechemecan 

 hunters. With respect to the Mexicans, during the whole of their peregrination, from 

 their native country Atzlan, unto the lake where they founded Mexico, they are said to 

 have cultivated the earth in all the places where they made any considerable stop, and 

 to have lived upon the produce of their labour. When they were brought under subjec- 

 tion to the Colhuan and Tepanecan nations, and confined to the miserable little islands 

 on the lake, they ceased for some years to cultivate the land, because they had none, until 

 necessity and industry together taught them to form movable fields and gardens, which 

 floated on the waters of the lake. 



