22

WILDBAD.

CHAPT. I.

to sortS of llie value. of from 2 — 300 guldens, are made in, and exported from, the Black Forest.

In a ebapter, professing to give a “full and true account” of a distriet, two of its most important features onglit not to be omitted: viz. agriculture and cattle brceding. In the Black Forest particularly the latter is in a higlily flourishing state, owing to its cxcellent berbage and abundance of meadows. Agriculture however will never play a conspicuous part bere, for want of land capable of culture or improve- ments. In higher elevations, and on the steep sides of the hills it is impossible to employ the plough, and all the farm labours tlierefore must be done by band. Much arable land also, on account of its inproductiveness, is al- lowed to lie waste for a numbcr of years; after this time the ground is cleared again, and heaps of rubbish and wood burned on it, in Order to obtain the scanty manure which the ashes afford. In other parts the System of Ilarkwal- dung is pursued. This consists in Clearing a piece of land, taking care at the same time to leave the roots in the ground. The underwood is burned on the Clearing, and the space betwcen the roots sown with corn. -After the lapse of somc years the distriet is again left to its natural Vegetation. The roots then will send forth new shoots, which are allowed to grow for a ccrtain number of years, after which the process of Clearing is recommeneed. In some valleys they have the method of Rollfelder , which is di- stinguished from the Hackwaldung only by the lands being employed during the years of idleness for grazing purposes. — As these two methods evidently yield but little profit, most of the land formerly dcdicatcd to them is now given up to the culture of timber.

A different aspect agriculture affords where the valleys open, and on the hills jutting out into the flat country. There