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CHAPTER VIII.
Leaving the valley of the Sieg, let us follow the new
road that leads by way of Altenkirehen and Driedorf to
Neuwied. We follow the foot of a chain of heights that
constitute a remarkable boundary, as dividing two valleys
of very different climate from each other, both opening
at no great distance from each other upon the Rhine.
The valleys are those of the Wied and the Lahn. The
former unites with the valley of the Sayn at Neuwied.
The Lahn falls into the Rhine a little below Coblenz.
The hills that divide them are called the Westerwald,
and although the highest summits scarcely attain 2000
feet in elevation, yet the extent of rocky soil and moun-
tainous declivities which the range contains, makes the
whole region bleak and unfruitful. On these heights the
winter is very severe, yet their elevation is not sufficient
to conserve a supply of moisture to promote vegetation in
a dry summer. The higher region is thinly peopled,
and little appearance of cultivation is evinced by the soil
in the spaces that intervene between the forests. Exten-
sive pastures, that early in the year show' a tolerable
covering of grass, but which in summer are soon fed bare,
are frequent, and on these large herds of cattle may be
seen feeding. Cattle-breeding is the chief productive
occupation of the farmer in the Westerwald. A race of
small cows very much resembling the Devon breed, like
these, too, good milkers and easily fattened, is indige-
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
145
nous in these hills, and cows are drawn from the Wester-
wald to distant parts of Germany. On the mountain-
roads that we have described in the neighbourhood of
Siegen, as on those of the Odenwald, Black Forest and
great part of the Taunus range, the light compact ox of
the Westerwald breed does excellent service. The pas-
tures on the hills are mostly village property, and being
seldom more than six months in the year productive,
neither butter nor cheese can be made for distant sale.
The neighbourhood of the larger towns on the Rhine,
however, where there is a considerable demand for
butcher’s meat, causes stock-feeding to be a profitable
branch of farming. The meadows along the banks of
the Wτied, after it leaves the mountains, furnish the rich
peasants and farmers of the low lands with summer
grass and the necessary supply of hay for the winter.
Of the latter article the German farmer is chary, and he
depends fully as much upon the produce of his distillery
mash-tub, as upon that of his meadows. Distilling is in
this district only carried on to assist the fattening of the
cattle.
The consumption of meat is both too limited, even in
towns, and too little attention is paid by the consumer to
quality, to make it worth the farmer’s while to use the
exertions that English and Scotch graziers resort to in
order to produce gigantic specimens of cattle in the
shortest possible time. The ox (and often the cow) re-
pay their keep by labour in the field or on the road
until the period for slaughtering arrives. Two and
sometimes three years’ run are given to the calf, if he be
destined for draught : from three to seven, he is supposed to
be in his prime for work, and the sooner he finds his way