AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE. 203 



eastern declivities of these hills, where the vineyards of 

 Forst, Wachenheim, Deidesheim, and other good growths 

 are found, lie at distances varying from 10 to 20 miles 

 from the river's bank. These wines are mild and with- 

 out acid, but possess little flavour. 



The banks of the Rhine on our left, when ascending 

 from Mayence, are also flat ; but the beautiful Oden 

 chain of mountains accompanies this part of the river 

 at a considerable distance from its winding course. The 

 base of this chain, which is skirted by the well known 

 " Bergstrasse," is clothed with vineyards of no celebrity, 

 which only help to garnish the tables or to furnish the 

 evening cups of the richer peasants of the neat villages 

 that lie along the road. The farming of this district is 

 managed with considerable dexterity in choosing crops 

 and rotations suited both to the soil and to the local 

 demand. But the scattered grounds, the small size of 

 the parcels tilled, and other economical faults, are here 

 still perceptible, and thwart the efforts made by the 

 government to spread theoretical knowledge by the 

 means of an admirable agricultural college established 

 near Darmstadt. Several of the Grand Duke's private 

 estates are managed as model farms ; not that any display 

 of expensive instruments can be found in them, but 

 experiments in rotations, in the quality of seeds, and in 

 the manures best suited to various soils, are made on 

 them for the benefit of the adjacent country, where the 

 value of such practical aid is well understood. The dis- 

 inclination to generalise, and to lay down rules for culti- 

 vating whole provinces upon one system, is perceptible 

 along the whole course of the Rhine, and lends to its 

 agriculture a peculiar character that heightens the inte- 



