150 
Continental Farming. 
About one-eighth is forest, and tiiere are some water-meadows 
along the river-side ; about one-third consists of barren hills, and 
the rest is tillage, except a little pasture adjoining the forests. 
This country, if properly enclosed, with cattle soiled upon half 
the green crops in houses, and sheep eating off the other half 
on the land in folds, would soon treble its present production. 
But I fear that the people are too poor to be able to lielp them- 
selves, or advance without aid : indeed it is evident that, as the 
land becomes reduced in productive power by the too frequent 
sowing grain crops, so are they driven to sow a greater width, 
until the land is reduced to the lowest degree of poverty, returning 
little more than double the seed sown. Such being the case, it 
behoves the state to look to the interest of a people who are 
thus industriously struggling with difficulties. 
We now followed one of the main tributaries of the Elbe to 
where its source issues from the same spot where the river 
March or Maravia has its source. This latter runs into the 
Danube, and the railway follows its course through rocky passes, 
Avoody dells, little fertile plains encircled by rocky cliffs and steep 
hill-sides, adorned with gigantic trees and shaggy woods. Along 
this beautiful way we swiftly rolled, gazing with delight upon the 
romantic rocky cliffs and the limpid stream, with its tortuous 
windings. 
Water-meadows and flax-mills were seen along the whole of 
this route, and the processes of steeping and preparing flax were 
in active operation. 
On issuing out of this tortuous way the effect is truly beau- 
tiful, from the prospect afforded of the extensive plain on which 
stands the busy town of Brunn (the Leeds of Austria), where 
all is activity, both in town and country. The land is mag- 
nificent, a fine alluvial loam, generally dry, except where the 
river-water is pent back for want of proper fall. From this cause 
there is a large tract of marsh or fen about Brunn, which, if 
drained, would either become rich pasture or first-rate tillage. 
These extensive marshes are grazed by large flocks of sheep, 
herds of swine, and cattle. 
The herds are attended by shepherds before and behind them, 
who keep the stock far too close together, and move so fast, 
that they damage more grass with their feet than they eat. 
The cattle are generally large, of dun colour ; and, if well 
managed in the selection of breeding-animals, would soon become 
a first-rate breed. 
The sheep are something of the Merino breed, carrying but 
little mutton. The pigs I do not like ; they have too much head, 
legs, and hair about them. 
After leaving Brunn, the upland is first-rate light loam, dry, 
and in part enclosed ; the farming is pretty fair ; but as we got 
