Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-11-11
Agriculture In Italy.

The kingdom of Italy now cmbra-
ces an area of 10000 square miles,
and a population of 26,OO0,OOO.
In 1865 the surface of Italy, in
Guiding Vcnctia and the Roman
States, was thus distributed; Arabic
lands, including vineyards, %, 749,l
acres; natural and artificial grass
lands, 3,742,772 acres; rice planta-
tions, 363,742 acres; olive groves,
I,j03,327 acres; chestnut groves,
l,GO9,937 acres woods and forests,
12,0SS,S22 acres pasturage, l6,794,847
acres marshes, lakes, &c, 3,0O583j
acres waste lands, from 6,5O0OO0 to
5000 600 acres; making a total of
about 750O0,000 acres. One-half of
soil that is cultivated is DEVOTED to
cereals, while only 4per cent. of the
entire surface is devoted to the Culti-
vated grasses; ; cattle and other do
mcstic animals are, therefore, nu-
mcrous. In the whole of Italy the
estimated number of domestic ami
mails is given as follows: Horses,
l4G2,SI6; cattle, 1901, ,472; sheep,
9,736,lO swine, 4,050,02l; goats,
2,6l5,427, This is only One-tiflh the
number of domestic animals in the
United States in 1869. The annual
average of cereal and other produce
tions, in bushels, is as follows: ::
Wheat, 10l, ,484, ,23G maize, As, 727 $50 !;
rice, 3,972, 1926; chestnut, 1911, 900 /;
potatoes, 27794 l57 other vegetables
1889, IFS. OF oil the average is
l,775S4 hectoliters, and of win
1897, $40 hcctoliters. Northern Ital
is in higher state of cultivation than
the southern portion. Among the
hills of Piedmont, which are as 0,774
to 0,226 of plain, and more particu-
larly where the vine is cultivated,
the land is mainly owned by small
farmers, in lots averaging from l. !
to T., acres, but on the plains, es-
pecially whore rice is grown, the
farms are large, ranging from 100
acres to $500 and upward, and are
generally ''ased to substantial farm
ers. The principal products are
wheat, rice, Indian corn, oats, rye and
other grains, vines and mulberry
trees, luccrne, flax and hemp; apples,
peaches, pears, cherries, chestnuts
and walnuts. Irrigation is general
upon the plains. TIE yield of wheat
however, owing to defective ti!lage
is only about one-third of the Eng
IGsb average per acre. Experiments
;,, n;,o t-ovad that it may be doubled
; "lIn proper cultivation. The use OF
Improved agricultural machines,
.lleneft0 hitherto discouraged, and of COM
''lGrclal fertilizers, is increasing. The
culli,Vatlon of the vine in Piedmont
rs Is aIS9 receiving fgreater attention,
tnc ora practice of festooning having
@ oeeh generally abandoned, and the
improved French methods of culture
substituted, In 4Lombardy there il
lnnch activity ira agricultural pur,
sun. oul'S' AS In Pie dmOnt, small farm'
are, ARE cor ION j n hilly districts, anj
iI iiIals" l,,rlhs ON the plains. Most o
'uo , latter ar irrigated. On th'
nan nan Nl"untsiain falms the spade i
sgiy usedyti as it is also on the hill
'"dn ~ " it. The cultivation o
the vine and mulberry trees, will
wheat and other grains, prevails il
the hills of Lombardy, while rice
flax and hay are grown on the plains
! silk is the staple product. Cattl
are generally kept by all farmers
and the country is rich in butter ant
cheese. In Nenctia none of the ce
reals arc largely cultivated, but ar
mostly imported from the Levan
and the Black Sea. In the Romal
, States and the provinces which i'm
, mcdiately join them, the modes o
culture are very rude, and the pro
t duction is, Of course, very limited.
; The subdivision of the sol
, throughout Italy is much more ia
! vorable to farmers of small mean
than the English system of larg
;. landed estates, but is not SO minut
and impoverished as that which pre-
walls in France. In population q
+ 26,000,OO0 the number of lande
G proprietors is given at 4,lSO,OO0, wit
5 an average of l2'a acres each. l
: Piedmont and Sicily, one in four is
r land-holder; in Param and LombaI
> dy, one in six; in Tuscany, one |
thirteen; and in all Italy, in lS6:
y seventeen in one hundred owne
/ land. The most subdivisions are i
J, Piedmont and the two Sicilies; tn
Q iewcst, in Tuscany, Romagna au
d JmDria, where large tracts al
d owned " the provircr, the con
: mune, and the religious orders, an
J. are generally badly rm q.
Il The cultivation of cotton and tC
n bacco has been introduced into SON
: of the Italian provinces, and mo-
satisfactory results have been Obtain
n ed,