354 



HUNGARY. 



Statistics, in the counties of Trcntschin, Neutra, and some others ; 

 "T"""" and their fruit, both fresh and dried, is exported in great 

 quantities to Austria and Prussia. 



The meadows and pasture grounds of Hungary are 

 very much neglected. They cover 1,483,003 acres, and 

 Wood*. yield about 17,085,935 quintals of hay. The northern 

 and western districts of Hungary abound in immense 

 forests of fir, pine, and oak, interspersed -with yews, 

 ash, hazel, and linden, which overspread nearly nine 

 millions of acres. In the district of the frontier regi- 

 ment of Walachia, the forests cover 46'5,S62 acres, and 

 afford employment and profit to many of the inhabi- 

 tants. In 1802, there were drawn from these woods 

 the following articles, which will give the reader some 

 idea of their value and importance. 



58,446 pieces for the construction of wheels. 



1,414 cubic toises of ash. 

 108,732 staves for casks. 

 2,725 do. for scuttles. 

 2,560 do. of oak. 

 S0,920 do. of beech. 



344 cubic toises of oaken joists. 

 702,800 staves. 



2,363 planks a foot square. 



900 green poles. 

 11,013 planks for boat building. 

 5,293 laths. 



1,701- planks for scaffolding. 

 40,624. do. of linden and maple. 

 1,099 do. of hazel. 

 196 posts of do. 



The forests of Hungary produce an immense quantity 

 of gall-nuts, which, from their exportation during ten 

 years, (from 1777 to 178(i,) yielded 516,679 florins of 

 revenue. In the south, however, from Pestli to Debret- 

 zin on the one hand, and from the mines of Bannat in 

 the county of Kraschow to Peterwardein on the other, a 

 wood is scarcely to be seen. In this district the fuel, 

 on account of the scarcity of timber, consists chiefly of 

 reeds, and cow dung made into bricks with straw. 

 Amimslt. On the pastures of Hungary are reared a great num- 

 ber of cattle, which forms one of the principal sources 

 of national opulence. The oxen are nearly equal to 

 those in Kent, which are the finest in Europe. They 

 are generally of a whitish colour, or light grey, and arc 

 valued for their great weight, and the fine flavour of 

 their flesh. About the conclusion of the last century, 

 there were reckoned in Hungary 797,540 fat oxen, 

 89,805 bulls, and 1,508,177 cows; and according to 

 the commercial tables, during ten years of the same pe- 

 riod, the exportation of oxen amounted to thirty mil- 

 lions of florins, when a pair of oxen sold only for 50 or 

 6'0 florins. 



Horses. The horses are in general small, but are equal to any 



in Europe in elegance and swiftness. They have been, 

 however, much neglected; and, notwithstanding the 

 many attempts that have been made by tlie government 

 for their improvement, they are still far removed from 

 that state of perfection of which they are capable. The 

 royal studs at Mezoehegyes in the county of Tschanad, 

 and Baholna in the county of Komorn, were established 

 by the Emperor Joseph II. ; and from them 60 stallions 

 are regularly distributed every year throughout the 

 country, to produce a more noble breed. In 1795, the 

 stud of Mezoehegyes consisted of 10,000 horses, of 

 which 1000 were mares, and 60 stallions. It is under 

 the direction of a major, 12 officers, 50 sub-ofiicere, 

 find 200 soldiers, besides grooms and labourers; and 

 is obliged to furnish annually 1000 horses for the ar- 



my. There are also several private tud?, of which the Suti.--tiw. 



most considerable are those of the lordship of Holitsch, s " pp 'Y" / 



established by Francis I., of Prince Esterhazy at U- 



zor, and of Count Palfy at Dertrekoe. The small size 



of the Hungarian horses may be attributed to their be- 



ing too young when brought to the yoke, and to their 



scanty nourishment. They seldom give them hay, but 



drive them out at all seasons to pasture; and even when 



on a journey, they are sent into the fields, to find at 



the same time food and rest. 



The Hungarian sheep are very beautiful, especially 

 those with forked horns, of which none are reared in 

 any other country, except on Mount Ida, and in some 

 of the islands in the Archipelago. Their wool, how- 

 ever, which is long and hairy, is used only in fabrica- 

 ting coarse stuffs, which are worn by the peasants. In 

 1773, the Austrian government attempted to improve 

 the wool of the native sheep, by the introduction of 

 Spanish rams ; but it was long before this practice be- 

 came general. At present, however, many of the no- 

 bles posses* immense flocks of the improved breed, and 

 draw from the sale of their wool a considerable reve- 

 nue. Some of these flocks produce annually about 

 1500 quintals of wool, worth 274,000 florins. Flocks 

 of every description pass the winter in the open fields. 

 The shepherds, whom they call j'thasz, are very little 

 removed from savages. They burrow under ground 

 with their dogs, and, except a boy or two who assist 

 them and bring their food from the village, and the 

 merchants, who in the beginning of summer come to 

 make purchases, they seldom see a human face. Yet 

 retired as they are from the world, they are fond of or- 

 naments in their dress ; and though their clothes are- 

 of the coarsest description, and besmeared with grease, 

 they trim their hats with ribbands of various colours, 

 and have their leathern girdles thick studded with 

 bright metal buttons. 



As bacon is a favourite dish with the Hungarians, 

 they rear an immense quantity of hogs ; and the head 

 of a family who had not a piece of fat pork on his table 

 at Christmas, would be regarded as a very bad econo- 

 mist. The consumption of this animal in the country 

 is so great, that they have none of their own to spare 

 for exportation ; but they carry on a very lucrative traf- 

 fic, by buying them in Turkey, and selling them to 

 their neighbours. According to the Commercial Ta- 

 bles, they annually purchased in Turkey to the amount 

 of 531,973 florins, which they sold for 895,337 florins. 



Among the animals of this country may also be men- 

 tioned a race of shepherds' dogs, of a white colour 

 and noble size, and also a breed of immense mastiffs. 

 Bees and silk-worms form considerable branches of in- 

 dustry in this country, and it abounds also in poultry ' 

 and game. Fish are so abundant in Hungary, that 

 they form an important branch of industry and com- 

 merce ; arid sturgeons, salmons, pikes, carps, perches, 

 &c. are to be found in all the principal rivers. In 1 SO", 

 they were exported to Austria to the amount of 98/J30 

 florins. 



Hungary abounds in minerals of every description ; 

 gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, mercury, cobalt, anti- 

 mony, salt, slate, &c. which, in their exploration and 

 manufacture, afford employment to a great proportion 

 of its inhabitants. Native gold is found in the beds of 

 many of the rivers ; and in the Koeroes, pieces of the 

 size of a nut are picked up by the inhabitants of the Ban- 

 nat, who upon an average gatlu-r to the amuunt of 900 

 ducats. In general, however, it is extracted from the 

 auriferous sand, which is not only taken from the chan. 



Hog*: 



Minerals. 



