iq2 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY 



five lord, but the fruits of his labour are his abfolute and certain 

 property. But, on the other hand, it happens in many places to 

 be attended with great labor and inconvenience, the fields confid- 

 ing of little fpots of ground among the rocks, many of which 

 muff be dug, inftead of being plowed, and particularly here, in the 

 diocefe of Bergen, where the foil is lefs fruitful, and affords but 

 few places, where the plow can be ufed, as it is in the eaftern pro- 

 vinces*. The harveft alfo is not without its difficulties \ the grain, 

 according to the old cuftom of the peafants, not being mowed with 

 a fcythe, except about Chriftiania, where it is lately come into uie, 

 but cut with a fickle ; and this is their practice even in thofe few 

 places where the ground is level and clear of flones ; for the corn 

 often grows fo thick and clofe, and the ftalks are fo apt to bend 

 under the weight of the ears, that the reapers, both here and in 

 the marfh-lands, grafp the flems with one hand, cutting them with 

 Plate vm. trie other, and immediately bind them in {heaves, which never lie 

 long on the ground; for, that they may be thoroughly aired and 

 dried, a great number of poles five or fix ells long are fet up in 

 the field, and fix or eight fheaves hung to each pole, fo that feve- 

 ral days rain, if it mould fall, would foon be exhaled and dis- 

 charged, and then the corn is houfed. In this part of the harveft- 

 work no waggons are ufed, except on the frontiers, where wag- 

 gons have been introduced, but inftead of them, the Norway 

 peafants ufe fledges, for they are prejudiced againft any other 

 vehicles, even in places where waggons might eafily travel, and 

 though their work would be performed with greater eafe and ex- 

 pedition. But in this and every thing elfe, they are fo fuperfti- 

 tioufly tenacious of the ufages tranfmitted to them by their fore- 

 fathers, that they will not venture to remove a ftone, which their 

 fathers had fuffered to lie. This ruftic bigotry, which, more or 

 lefs, prevails every where, is a great obftru&ion to public utility, 

 counteracting all improvements in agriculture, the peafants here 

 being more inclined to fell timber to ferve in the fifheries r and 

 the like, than to clear and improve their lands. However, this 

 error gradually lofes ground, iince from the peaceable Hate of 



* In fome places where the ground is very ftony, a crooked flick with an iron at 

 the end is made to ferve inftead of a plow, as this yielding eafier to the Hones, is nor. 

 fo fubj eft to break. 



affairs 



