6 ?4
the price of the products of the country, hemp and filk felling much higher. Twentyyears ago henip was at 30 /mils, new at 50. And inTufcany the prices of every thingdoubled fince the free corn trade.
It is worthy of the reader’s obfervation, that the general prices of provifions and of'living, as it may properly be called, have rifen perhaps as much in Italy as in any coun-try in Europe ; certainly more than in England, as I could Ihew by many details if theywere confident with the brevity of a traveller. A faff of fo much importance wouldadmit of many reflections; but I fliall obferve only, that this fign of national profperity(and I believe it to be one), is not at all confined to the countries in the potreflion ofextenfive manufactures and a great trade, fince we find it in thofe that have none.
I fliall not enlarge upon it, but barely hint that the pofleffor of a landed eftate inLombardy has] raifed his rents to the full as much in the laft ten, twenty, thirty, orforty years, as his brother landlord has in England, who has blefied himlelf with thenotion that manufactures and commerce have done more for him, than for any otheriimilar clafs in Europe . It is very common in the Englifh parliament, to hear the de-puties of our tradefmen expatiate on what the immenfe manufactures and commerce ofEngland have dene for the landed intereft. One faCt is worth an hundred afiertions:go to the countries that pofiefs neither fabrics nor commerce, and you will find as greata rife perhaps in the fame period.
SPAIN
Cultivation, £sV.
THE vale of Aran * is richly cultivated, and without any fallows. Follow the Gar.ronne, which is already a fine river, but very rapid : on it they float many trees to theirfaw-mills, to cut into boards ; we faw feveral at work. The vale is narrow, but thehills to the left are cultivated high up. No fallows. They have little wheat, but agreat deal of rye; and much better barley than in the French mountains. Inftead offallows, they have maize and millet; and many more potatoes than in the French mountains. Haricots (French beans) alfo, and a little hemp. Saw two fields ofvetches and fquare peafe. The fmall potatoes they give to their pigs, which do verywell on them; and the leaves to their cows ; but afiert that they refufe the roots.Buck-wheat alfo takes the place of fallow, many crops of it were good, and fome as fineas poflible.
The whole valley of Aran is highly peopled ; it is eight hours long, or about fortymiles Englifh, and has in it thirty-two villages. Every one cultivates his own land. Ajournal of meadow fells in the valley for 800 livres irrigated, but by no means fo wellas in the French mountains, nearly an arpentof Paris , which is fomething more than anEnglifh acre. The lower arable lands are fold for 500 livres or 600 livres; the fidesof the jfhills proportionably; and the higher lands not more than 100 livres. Theircrops of all forts "vary from two and a half to three quarters Englifh the acre. Hayharveft no where begun.
“ The route in which thefe obfervations were made, is marked in the journal inferted in the fir ft volnme;alfo-tbe dates.
The
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