— 219 —
has not caused a dépréciation in the value of arable land asit was feared it would ; On the contrary, it would be extre-mely easy to prove that this rise in the value of land is mainlydue to the economical revolution which this enterprize of PrinceTorlonia has caused in the country. The mean price of 2125 fr.per hectare, which we give, is only for those lands situated out-side the basin of the lake, but if we aproach the latter we shallfind that at the last auctions of state property, the lands undercultivation were sold at prices ranging between 2550 and 3400 fr.per hectare (1032 frs. to 1376 frs. per acre) not including theconsiderable cost of adjudication; and it is well to mention that inthe Neapolitan provinces, the value of land is based upon thereturns of the capital invested at the rate of 5 °/ 0 per annum,and that it is excessively rare that buyers can be found at therate of 4%, which is considered quite a fancy price. We seefrom this how much those who feared that their interests wouldsuffer by the draining, were mistaken.
It would be overstepping the limits of this account, toinvestigate further than we have done, into the future, whichawaits the country of the Marsi, in consequence of the drainingof lake Fucino . What we have said of the work of PrinceTorlonia, will show, we hope, that it is a work, truly deservingthe epithet of great, not only for its dimensions, for the difficul-ties which it has overcome, and for the sums which it hascost, but chiefly for the idea which suggested it, and for theimportance of the moral and economical results which it hasproduced, and which it will produce in proportion as the germsof prosperity it contains, have time to develop in their differentforms; From this point of view, no work has greater claims,than this one, upon the gratitude of the present, and of futuregenerations.
When the rich man considers his fortune only as a depositwhich the divine Providence has confided to his keeping, inorder to enable him to promote the welfare of his fellow-creatures by usefully employing them, and opening new sourcesof wealth for their benefit, and when he regards his riches