34 [Assembly 



often descends as far down as 4,000 feet. These create pastures 

 fresh and green during the season, and feed the innumerable herds 

 that rove near their icy borders. The Alps themselves are nothing 

 more than a succession of pastures, which vary in their maturity 

 as you ascend their stupendous heights. Hence the moisture and 

 variability of the climate are suited to cattle-breeding and dairy 

 husbandry, but these mountainous regions are not favorable to 

 the growth of grain. There is an extensive plain, beginning at 

 the lake of Geneva and bounded by the valley of the Rhine. 

 Here are found the cantons of Vaud, Berne, Argau, Lucerne, and 

 Thurgau, which are the garden of Switzerland. It must, how- 

 ever, be conceded that out of all the twenty-two cantons of the 

 Swiss confederation, Argau, Lucerne, and Thurgau produce 

 more grain than enough to supply the home market. 



The Swiss rural classes are almost universally owners of the 

 soil, and from this cause it is extremely subdivided. And what 

 gives a further attachment to land in this country, is the system 

 which almost everywhere prevails, that each parish holds lands 

 in common, which gives the poorest inhabitant a privilege to cul- 

 tivate a patch of ground, and cut hay for his cow, the indispensa- 

 ble appendage of every Swiss family. The fundamental principle 

 of the confederation is, to guaranty property and favor its equal 

 division. Though an American will not hesitate to admire the 

 simplicity and frugality of these sturdy, independent moun- 

 taineers, yet he cannot but confess that the excessive subdivision 

 of Swiss lands has been highly detrimental to agriculture. The 

 so called garden tillage is bad in many places. Not a good plow 

 nor ox can be seen. The milch cow is put before their poorly 

 constructed instrument, and it will be ten chances to one if the 

 wife does not either drag or hold it. Hence most all the little 

 farming labor is done by female hands; and where this happens, 

 you see no fine houses, no sleek cattle, and no superior farming 

 utensils. Indeed, it is only in the environs of Basle and Zurich 

 that you see deep or subsoil plowing or drainage done on econo- 

 mical and just principles. Most of the other cantons follow the 

 old courses and usages of husbandry, with tolerable success, but 

 do not keep pace with the technical and experimental knowledge 



