AGRICULTURE OX THE RHIXE. G5 



given the details of checse-niaking in our description 

 of Belgian agriculture, to which we refer. 



On approaching Aix-la-Chapelle, the traveller, emerg- 

 ing from the northern passes of the Ardennes, finds the 

 large monotonous plains on tlie north, which we have de- 

 scribed, interrupted only by a few quaint castellated coun- 

 try-seats. To the south-east, as the railroad to Cologne 

 follows the fall of the hills for some time, he has the 

 forests of the Ardennes, with the singular addition of tall 

 chimneys peeping above the trees, and indicating the site 

 of the rich coal-mines in the earth beneath them. At 

 Diirenthe railway reaches the open country, and the ex- 

 tensive level spreads on either side, seemingly bounded 

 only by distant rows of hills, of which, however, some lie 

 beyond the Rhine. A great deal of the land traversed 

 by the railway is sand of the lightest description, and 

 was a short time back unreclaimed heath. 



At Cologne the traveller reaches a city of 70,000 

 inhabitants, thriving from trade, and fond of the good 

 things of this world. There is also a demand from this 

 neighbourhood to supply the unproductive valleys of 

 the Ardennes, and that part of Limburg which is devoted 

 to pasturage. Grain is therefore the chief object of 

 farming, and the farmer combines, as far as he can, dis- 

 tilling and stock-fattening with his fallow crop ;- the po- 

 tato furnishing the material for both. As we approach 

 Cologne large farm-houses are here and there visible, 

 surrounded by arable land, the furrows of which run up 

 to the city walls. These are farms belonging to the 

 clerical, charitable, and civic corporations of Cologne, 

 and are held by men owning sufficient capital to be able 

 to draw the most advantage from the vicinity of a large 



