172
AgbicultltKe on The hπine.
fort, as townsmen of older standing, are much more in-
dustrious. A walk through the “garden-field” of
Mayence, as a portion of the land enclosed between the
walls of the town and the outer range of works is called,
is an interesting lounge in summer. Not only has every
citizen his little plot, to which he or his family with male
or female servants adjourn to drink coffee, smoke, and
delve the soil every afternoon ; but nursery gardens on a
small scale may be found which disseminate the new
plants and flowers as they come into use or into fashion.
A flower show is held twice a-year at Mayence, at which
prizes are distributed. In Frankfort the love of flowers
is a pleasing characteristic of the richer inhabitants,
especially as they lend their aid to extend this desirable
taste amongst their poorer neighbours. The flower show
takes place several times in the year, and it is combined
with a lottery for the purchase and distribution of tl>o
plants. Thus the poorer gardeners are sure to be in-
demnified for any extra cost to which they go in rearing
plants.
The case with which money is earned by studying the
wants and whims of the numerous strangers during the
season at Wiesbaden, takes the people off their regular
employments. Building speculation has however done
more to disturb the regular progress in agriculture, for
which the neighbourhood is well adapted. The character
of the whole country between the mountain limits that
we have traced is decidedly agricultural ; but there is a
mixture and uncertainty that puzzles the observer unless
he is prepared to allow for some disturbing element
such as we have described, or to regard the agriculture
of the country as in a state of transition.
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
173
Wiesbaden is a good place to study the various tenures
0f land and the mode of occupying it common in Central
Germany. In the immediate neighbourhood there are a
number of small farms, agreeable excursions to which
may be made by strangers, and the more easily as the
sale of milk and wine is generally combined with agri-
cultural operations by the owners, so that a stranger
need not fear that his visit will be looked upon as an
intrusion: the valleys of the Taunus present shady
paths in summer to the nearest of these farms. Im-
mediately adjoining the town lies the secularized con-
vent of Clarenthal, part of whose lands have been
sold, while part is still a domain of the state. The
latter portion, comprising about 400 morgen, or 250
acres, is let on lease to a farmer at the rent of 9 florins
per morgen, or about 1Z. 5s. per acre. Were the circum-
stances other than we have described in the town, and
its market open for supplies at fair prices, there can be
no doubt but that the rent of land so situated would be
much higher. A nice farm near Clarenthal is managed
by its owner, and consists of rather more land in one lot.
About two miles farther on in the hills lies the small
farm of Adamsthal, which presents a very good picture
of the improved farming of Germany on a limited scale-
water-meadows in the hollow, grain and artificial grasses
on the height, and a tolerable quantity of fruit-trees,
although the elevated situation is not very favourable for
them. Similar farms, in more or less picturesque situa-
tions, are the Nuremberg Hof, the Armada Hof, and
others. The islands in the Rhine opposite to Bieberich
contain farms also. The Petersau, which is the largest,
had three farms upon it, until lately, when the govern-