666
which they take for repofe. Suppofing, however, that July and Auguft are efteemcdmuch too hot, {till the reft of the year muft, from every circumftance we heard, be de-licious—they fpoke with rapture of the pleafantnefs of the month of May ; and no doubtbut the winter muft be a charming feafon, where fuch vegetables as green peafe aregathered through every month of it, from the open fields. In regard to wholefome-nefs for invalids, one circumftance ftiould be confidered, which may be applied equallyto all watered arable lands : I fhould conceive, that they muft of neceflity, in fo hot aclimate, be very unwholeforae ; and little better than rice-grounds, which are knownevery where to be peftiferous. The land is kept conftantly watered, it is thereforelittle better than an earth fponge, or mafs of mud ; innumerable fibres of vegetablesare mixed with it; the heat, the moifture, and the rich foil form a putrid fermentation,which gives health and luxuriance to vegetables, but muft fill the air with phlogifticeffluvia, I fhould apprehend far from wholefome to the human body. This is a con-fideration for phyficians, and for thofe whom they fend to fouthern climates.
Irrigation.
THE profpecls down the vale of Aran beautiful; it is without fallows, fine hempinftead of them. Look down on the town of Efteredano, around which culture rilespretty high up the mountains. All the corn cut is reaped and bound in {heaves.—Walnuts. Defcend into the vale.—Figs. Watered meadows. Ray-grafs predomi-nates ; much common clover, white clover, trefoil, vetches, &c. A caufeway for irri-gation acrofs the vale •, the meadows are uncut, and have two and a half tons per acreon an average ; the corn all through three quarters an acre. Pafs a rich flat common;part of this vale fed by horfes, hogs, mules, affes, and a few oxen.
Advancing, what meadows there are are well watered ; as are French beans, hemp,and a fmall quantity of lucern.
Leave Poeblar ; they have lucern, but not good, the gardens are all watered ; mul-berries ; price of filk this year 18 livres the pound. Cultivation all around among theolive-trees ; but it is corn one year and fallow another. Crofs the river, which is herefixty yards wide. Wheels for raifing the water of it into the gardens, ten or twelvefeet high ; they are of a very Ample conftru&ion, fomething like the common water-wheels of a. mill, but made very light; the fellies of the wheel are hollow in divifions,taking the water in through holes at equal diftances, and as the ftream turns the wheelit delivers the water out of the fame holes at the top of its revolution into a trough,which condu&s it where wanted; it is cheap, fimple, and effeftual. Many peach-trees fcattered about the gardens, &c. Mount the hills; pafs two large trafts of aboveone hundred acres, deftroyed by the torrents. Great quantity of pudding-hones.The mountains around are of interefting and bold features. The country in generalhere has a great mixture of cultivation and wafte ; it is for fome fpace-pleafing enoughto the eye, but the produce is, I believe, very low ; we faw r many oats, and fcarcelyany that will produce more than a quarter an acre. They have no meadows; and Ifhould obferve, that our mules have not found fuch a thing as hay ; ftraw and barleyare the food; in all thofe fpots wfflich would give grafs, corn and legumes are fown, asmore neceffary and more valuable: and this, I am told, is the cafe over all Spain ,lucern excepted.
Near Monte Schia—they have here poor crops of flat barley: of water, they knowwell the value, a fpring of any account being carefully conduced into a refervoir, andlet out at feven in the morning and at night to water.
io
Advancing,