16 



HOCKINGS' GAfiDEN MANUAL. 



and the flock-owners. The former have often to regret 

 the loss of their crops from the droughts which too 

 frequently interfere between seed time and harvest. 

 The latter have to mourn over the loss of flocks arid 

 herds which perish during a drought, partly from want 

 of food to eat, but principally from want of water. 



The flock-owner, again, even when not affected by 

 drought, is obliged to distribute his flocks and herds 

 over a large area. The produce of the natural pas- 

 turage of the country is too scanty to admit of the 

 depasturage of one-tenth part of the stock which 

 might be kept upon it, were proper means taken to 

 increase its fertility, among which means irrigation 

 ranks highest. The agriculturist is obliged to content 

 himself with inferior crops from the want of means of 

 applying the proper stimulus to the soil, which means 

 would be afforded were he placed in a position to irri- 

 gate his farm, 



The soil and the climate of Lombardy are not 

 more favorable to cultivation than those of many 

 parts of this colony ; and the district between Milan, 

 Lodi, and Pavia, containing about 100,000 acres, 

 supports 100,000 head of cattle, 28,000 horses, and 

 100,000 head of smaller stock — an amount which 

 would in this country depasture an area at least 

 twenty times as great. The increased capacity of 

 maintaining stock is due entirely to the mode in 

 which advantage has been taken of the water by which 

 this district is surrounded to irrigate the whole of it 

 perfectly. 



