28 AGRICULTURE OX THE RHINE. 



capital, which, when added to the linen in the housewiie's 

 clothes-press, is often worth a large sum, forms a stock 

 as intangible amongst the middle classes and peasantry in 

 Germany as the jewels of noble families. The division 

 of the treasure amongst heirs male and female occasions 

 no less anxiety and bickering than that of the rosettes, 

 necklaces, and bracelets of people of fashion. The yard 

 of this establishment is equally spacious with that before 

 described. The offices run in a long line parallel to the 

 house, which looks into a thriving orchard. The kitchen 

 and flower gardens close the yard, being interposed at 

 the end opposite to the entrance between the offices and 

 the house. Between groups of trees on *each side, the 

 compost-heaps indicate the foresight and skill of the 

 master. There is more planting on this estate than is 

 common in the uplands, the small value of the heath 

 originally having induced the purchaser to plant exten- 

 sively. The houses of Pfalzdorf are neat cottages on a 

 large scale, mostly built in wooden framework filled 

 in with bricks, or with strong wicker-work plastered on 

 the outside and inside, eight inches thick, which makes a 

 warm and durable wall. They all stand in a line facing 

 the road, with small gardens in front, and the land be- 

 longing to it at the back of each cottage. The holdings 

 are from fifteen to twenty acres, and are well tilled, al- 

 though the occupiers have other sources of industry, such 

 as carriers' work, flax, and sometimes, in spite of .the 

 Jews, who monopolize this branch of trade, cattle-deal- 

 ing. A proof of their skill as farmers is afforded by 

 their flax, which is the principal market-crop at Pfalz- 

 dorf, and which is there raised upon the lightest con- 

 ceivable sandy soil. 



