Notes a)id Gleanings. 291 



bardy, highly cultivated, and covered with cities, towns, and villages, watered 

 by the Po, tiie Ticino, the Adige, and other streams. The cultivation of this 

 plain seems to be thorough and judicious : on much of, it three crops are grown 

 at the same time. Mulberry-trees are planted at regular intervals. On each tree 

 a grape-vine is trained, and its branches carried from tree to tree in festoons, 

 while the ground beneath is devoted to wheat or other grain ; the mulberry- 

 trees furnishing food for silkworms. In some parts of this plain, large quantities 

 of rice are grown, which, although apt to produce sickness, is a highly profit- 

 able crop. On the southern side of the main chain of the Apennines, but 

 separated from Southern Italy by a range of high hills, an offshoot from 

 the main chain of mountains, is the Valley of the Arno, celebrated for its 

 beauty and fertility ; with Florence and Pisa, the high grounds around the 

 former occupied with villas surrounded by trees and shrubbery of luxuri- 

 ant growth. Farther south are other valleys, as those of the Chiente, the Cli- 

 tumnus, and the Tiber, of unsurpassed fertility ; and plains, some of which 

 exceed in luxuriance those on the north side of the mountains. Round the city 

 of Rome is a large extent of level or rolling country known as the Campagna, 

 that was once probably cultivated, but is now, in great part, devoted to the 

 pasturage of large herds of cattle, horses, and flocks of sheep ; the malaria 

 being now the cause that its cultivation is neglected, as it is probably also the 

 consequence of former neglect. This Campagna terminates on the seacoast in 

 a large tract of wet, swampy country known as the Pontine Marshes, used for 

 pasturage and as a range for buffaloes. But, rich and fertile as are many of the 

 valleys and plains of Italy, the great Plain of Capua, extending for a long dis- 

 tance round the city of Naples, is perhaps more rich and fertile than any other, 

 so that the same crop may be raised year after year in succession ; so fertile, in 

 fact, that, as soon as one crop is harvested, another is sown without any intermis- 

 sion. It is planted for nearly its whole extent with trees, upon which grape-vines 

 are trained ; the tops of the trees being cut off, except where the stone pine is 

 planted that produces cones containing edible seeds ; the ground beneath being 

 planted with grain or other crops. It would seem as if this mode of cultivation 

 must be uneconomical, but is probably found to have its advantages. Where the 

 sun is so hot, some shade may be advantageous to the grapes and other crops. 

 Fuel is very scarce and dear, and the cuttings of the trees furnish some supply 

 of it ; while, the seeds of the pine-cones being a delicacy, some revenue is 

 derived from them. 



Besides cereals and vegetables, the cultivation of Italy includes the mulberry, 

 fig, almond, carrubo, and orange trees ; also tobacco, rice, cotton, and licorice, 

 together with grape-vines and olives. The cultivation of the grape is universal ; 

 and much wine is made, principally for home-consumption, as the Italian wines 

 do not, I believe, bear transportation well : some of them are very pleasant, 

 when they can be obtained pure ; but there is a good deal of adulteration. The 

 olive seems to thrive on dry, stony soils ; and it is very common to see the 

 sides of steep mountains thrown into terraces, and planted with this tree. The 

 oil from trees grown on the hills is said to be better, though less in quantity, than 

 from those grown on richer land. The carrubo-tree produces seeds used ds 



