351 
On the Agriculture of Spain. 
closures in parts where nothing of the sort existed before. This 
and other improvements will follow the division of the vast and 
mismanaged, though mildly administered, property of the convents 
and churches. The charges on ihe lands are beyond belief, 
considering the general means of payment. There are taxes yet 
in force dating from the time of the Moors, and the possessors are 
now paying those levied on their ancestors to combat the infidels. 
In addition to these and other old imposts are those successively 
levied to sujiport the external and internal wars in which the 
country has been engaged for the last fifty years. The main 
cause of the revolution of this year was to prevent the lowering 
the duties on foreign produce, so as gradually to increase the 
revenue, and enable the onerous charges on the land to be reduced. 
The manufacturers and people in the towns took a different view, 
and the result is what we have witnessed. Nor is it easy to fore- 
see more than the slow and regular improvement already noticed, 
which is greatly owing to the unequalled fertility of the soil and 
the advantages of the most beautiful climate under heaven. 
With respect to the sheep, the Merinos are too well known to 
require notice. Another very distinct, but by no means bad breed, 
is extensively spread in Castile and Estremadura, especially in the 
province of Cuenca, which was once a country of vast importance, 
both in natural and manufacturing industry. These are a light 
made sheep, and with care might be made a very good breed. 
They are paymg some attention to the breeding of horses, but 
the general poverty of all classes will prevent any material im- 
provement being made ; and they are unfortunately too vain and 
conceited on this subject. Few of the native breed are really good 
and useful, from the absurd manner of breaking them, but they 
could easily be improved. The worst description of anirnals at 
present is the mule, those employed in most parts of the country, 
owing to the forcible abduction of them by the armies during 
the war, and the poverty of the labradores, being so poor in size 
and strength as to exceed belief. 
The wheat brought to this country a few years since was chiefly 
from Old Castile, and was carried at a great expense to Santander ; 
but at present, in fine seasons, we might in times of need draw 
supplies from Andalusia and Estremadura. In the country above 
Zaragoza, some of which is irrigated from the canal of the Ebro, 
there is a vast abundance, the crops in good years j)roducing six 
or seven years' consumption. 
In Estremadura, the locust constantly exists, but it only appears 
in certain seasons. This year there were great numbers, and I 
passed some of the scenes of their ravages, where the land had 
exactly the appearance of being burnt up. The wheat in good 
seas(ms is too lar grown to be affected by them, as their ravages 
