122 
STATE AGKICULTUEAL SOCIETY 
quaint and delightful vintage scenes in the far-famed vineyards that for many 
centuries have clothed its sunny banks ? 
The i^hine divides the city, and although there are bridges of stone, the 
light and gaily-painted ferry boats, with striped awning screens, are plying 
back and forth for the accommodation of the people, who seem to so love 
the old river as to prefer the ferry, at two sous, to the bridges at nothing. 
A gymnasium with twelve professors, a polytechnic school, university 
with twenty-four professors, the agricultural school, and the Erasmus Col- 
liege show that, not alone commerce and manufacturing arts flourish here, 
but education. The cathedral was built in 1000, and will probably last 
another decade of centuries without becoming dilapidated. The botanical 
garden affords |many attrations. The library connected with it is said to be 
the richest of its kind in the world. 
Agriculturally considered, the canton of Basle is one of the finest of 
Switzerland; while as a manufacturing and commercial city, Basle (which 
is the capital of the canton) is the first town in Switzerland. Its chief man- 
factures are paper, silk, gloves, leather, printed cottons, hosiery and jewelry ; 
in the interest of which there are several large establishments. 
BASLE TO FBANKFORT-OX-THE-MAIN. 
* 
* 
* 
Strasbourg ! On French soil again ? Only for one day. 
A fine old city, well worth the time. Formerly subject to the German empe¬ 
rors; ceded to Louis XIV in 1681 ; now one of the best fortified towns in 
Europe. Manufactures woolen and cotton goods, clocks and watches, jewel¬ 
ry, hardware &c. Some large dye-works, sugar refineries and breweries. 
Famous cathedral, founded A. B. 604; rebuilt A. D. 1007-1439; most re¬ 
markable tower in the world ; being 466 feet high, and surfaced all over with 
most elaborate carvings and added decorations—18 feet higher than St. Pe¬ 
ter’s at Rome, and 16 feet higher than the great pyramid. * # * 
In Germany again. Grand Duchy of Baden. Course of the railway still 
down the valley of the Rhine. Carlsruhe, the Capital! Visit to the Poly¬ 
technic School—one of the best in Europe, well equipped and well managed. 
* * * For Baden-Baden next—noted for its hot springs. Great 
watering place. 
On the western side, along the Rhine, there is a strip of very fertile land, 
where are growing fine crops of wheat, barley, Indian corn, beans, potatoes, 
flax, hemp and tobacco. East of this strip, the country rises until it be¬ 
comes mountainous, some of the highest peaks being as high as 4,650 feet. 
It is here that lies the famous Black Forest 
Fruits and wines of excellent quality are produced in all the more favor¬ 
able portions of Baden ; even on the mountains quite respectable crops of 
rye and oats. Agriculture is without system, however, the stock being of in¬ 
ferior quality, and the farming implements more than fifty years behind the 
times. Plows with wooden mold-boards ; the clumsiest harrows the world 
ever saw, with wooden pins for teeth ; wagons such as any ver}-^ awkard Yan¬ 
kee farmer could get up for himself, and drawn by cows lashed to them by the 
horns! Manufacturing is likewise behind the age. Iron, hardware, cotton 
yarn, cloth and salt are its chief products. 
The village of Baden-Baden is delightfully situated in the valley of the 
Oos. To my eye one of the most charming little towns on the continent. 
Many of the dwellings and public houses are surrounded with shrubbery and 
flowers, even to the summit of the hills on either side, and the streets are 
remarkably neat and clean. Population about 6,000. 
Some of the springs are made all the more attractive to visitors by fine 
public buildings, embracing spacious halls for dancing, beautiful saloons for 
all kinds of gaming, restaurants, reading rooms and handsome porticoes for 
promenading. * x- * 
Another hour and I am in Heidelberg, and have already caught a view of 
the old University. It consists of a series of plain structures, quite un¬ 
imposing, and requiring positive 'history to convince one that here ^lave 
taught and been taught some of the most distinguished literateurs, divines and 
I 
