VOUNO’S TRAVELS IN FRANCE * (J67

Advancing—there is fome good hemp, watered ; and I fee enough of the country tofind that the water is all in all; where that is to be condu&ed, they get crops that paywell; but where no water, they have not the power or the knowledge to turn the foil,however good it may be, to a profitable account; fallow the only effort, and the fucccfsevery where miferable.

Crofs a fine ftream with many acres under it, yet no watering; the reafon I cannottell, unlefs the land is common ; if fo, it is eafily explained.

The foil ftony ; the large, of the pudding clafs; but in the midll of this arid wretch-ed defert, come to a fpring, which rifes out of the earth into a fmall refervoir, and is im-mediately ufed for irrigation ; maiz, hemp, cabbages, beans, and all fine ; the contrailfhews the altonilhing effeft of water, and that in this climate the foil is the leafi: objed, —the fun and water do the whole.

Paffmg Paous; every thing changes the features ; the vale, on comparifon with thofewe have feen, is wide, and alfo flat, and water plentifully conducted in canals, which pafsevery quarter, fo as to let into the field of every proprietor; having palled above one hun-dred miles of dreary mountain, this vale, fo great was the contrail, had the appearanceof enchantment; the care and attention given to irrigation cannot be exceeded. Theland is prepared for it, by levelling with a nicety as curious as for making a boVling-green, and this (conducting the water excepted, which is common to every one), is theonly expence : this general level is divided into oblong beds, from fix to eight feet wide,by little ridges of fine mould, drawn up nicely with a rake every time the ground isfown, in order that the water may not fpread over too much at once, in which cafe, theirrigation would be unequal; there would be too much of a current at the part wherethe water enters, a circumllance of no .great importance in watering grafs land, butwhich would be mifehievous in arable ; fmall trenches take the water from the carriercanals, and palling by the ends of thofe beds, the farmer opens them at pleafure to dis-tribute the water where wanted. As foon as the land is fown it is watered, and periodi-cally till the plants are up; moderately while they are young; but every day, and fome-times twice a day, when full grown: the effect is furprifing, and infinitely exceeds thatof the richelt manures that can be fpread upon any land. The rapidity of vegeta-tion is fo great, that there are but few crops, which demand all the fummer for comingto perfe&ion ; I believe hemp is the only one ; that plant is now five to feven feet inheight, and of fo thick a luxuriance, that nothing can be imagined finer. The rye Hub-bles are ploughed and fown with French beans, which are up and watered. After hempwheat is the crop.

Watered maize here, feven to nine feet high. Every time we fee any irrigation, weare ftruck more and more with the importance of water, even on foils which are appa-rently mere rock, and on the moll arid deferts, it gives at once the utmofl luxuriance ofvegetation. Vines and olives, however,-Hand in no need of it, but thrive admirably onthe drielt foils without it: not one acre, however, in twenty, is planted with them thatmight be.

Come to more watered grounds; gardening and hulbandry mixed; peaches ; ap-ples ; ripe pears; pomegranates in the hedges, as large now as walnuts in the fnell;onions and iettuces in great plenty. Some watered lands have been fold at i3oolivresthe journal.

Near Martorelle is a fine irrigated valley ; French beans, feven feet high. Good lu-cern, cut three or four times a year ; onions, cabbages, and lettuces ; but the hemp,every where a principal crop, not great. The land all formed into the beds for water-ing ; which I have already deferibed.

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