The name is absent

AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.

the agricultural colleges that we have mentioned. One
of these colleges is at Darmstadt. A useful poly-
technic school has recently been founded at Carlsruhe.
The fruit of these excellent establishments has been
chiefly to lay a foundation in the minds of a large class of
the people that disposes them to industrious activity,
and has prepared highly useful agents both for the
management of farms and of manufacturing establish-
ments. Few young men would now think of offering
themselves for the place of bailiff or farming agent,
without possessing testimonials of their fitness from
some of these colleges. The scientific explanations
which any inquiring traveller can receive at the hands
of almost any young men so occupied on large estates, re-
specting the soil, climate, manners, &c. of the locality,
will often perhaps excite surprise, and no less so the
calculations by which they judge whether improved pro-
cesses ought to be adopted, and where additional outlay
or increased economy is the more judicious plan to
follow.

Besides the large estates in the Grand Duchy of
Darmstadt that we have already noticed as under scien-
tific management, we may name the estate of Baron von
Babo, near Weinheim, as very accessible from Heidel-
berg. From Baden-Baden excursions may be made to
Rothenfels and Augustenburg, country-seats belonging to
the Margrave William of Baden, which have long served
as pattern farms. Baron von Babo is an author on agri-
cultural subjects, and the result of a few out of numerous
experiments that he has caused to be made with ploughs,
will both show the interest with which intelligent
farmers follow improvements in Germany, and will throw

AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.

a useful light on the plough of the Palatinate, which we
before praised as well adapted to the soil. One of these,
with a plough in use on the Bergstrasse, a Flemish wheel,
and a Flemish swing-plough, being tried against each
other in a dry stony soil, the result was :—

Sowing-machines are only in use for rape, and occa-
sionally for turnips. Where seed is abundant and labour
cheap, the outlay for expensive machines is not repaid, as
is the case where labour is dearer. This principle is
further confirmed by experiments that have been made
with the Scotch threshing-machine as modified by M.
Dombasle, in Alsace. For small quantities the advantage
of machinery is scarcely apparent ; but machinery ap-
plied to large quantities produces a great saving. Expe-
riments made in Germany have shown that where—

The produce in Wheat costs to thresh
With the Machine. By Hand.

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