Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-07-25


ley in the train, he catches glimpses
of multitudes of these irrigating Ca
mails traversing the plain in every
direction. They are employed for
the double purpose of irrigation and
drainage. For the former they are
carried within embankments some
height above the surface-level of the
fields; and, for the latter, in chan
nels below it. Their banks are thick
ly planted with trees, for the pur-
pose of ornament and fuel, and of
shade to protect the earth from the
drying rays of the sun in the hot
season of the year. Rice is grown
all over the valley of the Po very
luxuriently; these irrigating canals
furnish the water to food the seeds
at the proper stages of its growth.
Many of the canals are large enough
for navigable purposes, and the
traveller frequently sees market-boats
propelled by sails or oars, traversing
the plain, to and from the neigh
boring market towns. There are
THOUSANDS OF MILES
of these irrigation canals in the Po
Valley. Many of them were con
strueted before the time of the Cru
saders, others before the time of the
Attila, and some date back as far
as the period of Julius Augustus
Caesar. The old Romans knew all
about the advantages and benefits to
be derived from the artificial irriga-
tion, and practiced it in central and
Southern Italy centuries before the
Christian era.
THE CHIEF PRODUCTS
of the vast plain are as follows: In
the upper portion of the valley,
among the head-waters of the Pc,
barley, rye, oats, buck-wheat, pota-
toes, little wheat, considerable clo-
yer, some grapes, mulberries, and
chestnuts. Further down the val
ley, say from Turin to Alexandria,
so miles, a great deal of mulberry
and grape, innumerable patches of
wheat, little corn, and plenty of
grass. Througout the middle of the
valley, from Milan to Bologna, 14O
miles, the prevailing products are
wheat, corn, hay, mulberry trees,
and grapes, with more or less rice.
In the lower part of the valley, to-
wards the delta of the Po, rice is the
chief grain crop, although large
quantities ,, of wheat and corn are
grown. Plenty of fruit of many vari-
cites is produced in the Po Valley,
such as apples, peaches, pears, cher
ries, almonds, oranges, lemons, figs
etc. Just now cherries and straw
berries are in season, and in profu-
sion. The farmers, l observe, are
everywhere making hay, and the
''cut'' is very heavy, owing to the
GOODNESS of spring and the amount
of wet weather Wheat is headed
out, but will not ripen for several
weeks longer, owing to the absence
of warm sunshiny weather. 1t is
called very backward season for
grain crops, but the prospect is fat
tering for an abundant yield.
There is one charm about these
plains of the Pc, with which the eye
of the traveller never wearies; and
that is the multitudes of trees to be
seen everywhere. The country looks
like continuous orchard in every
direction, as far as one can see. In
the course of days ride on the
train, one will pass within view of
MILLIONS OF TREES,
of diffenent varieties, though the
most numerous is mulberry. Ordi
narily they are planted from 6 to II
rods apart in one direction, and l Il
2 rods in the other. The common
size and height are those of well
grown apple and cherry trees. Along
roads, streams, canals, and bitches
the trees are set closer together, anC
consist of poplar, chestnut, silver
leaf maple, laurel, lime, and COLDER
willow. Scattered over the plain a
irregular. intervals apart, are conspic
uously seen tall pines, poplars, anC
occasionally cypresses,-the forme-
trimmed close nearly to the top
which is pruned in such way as t.
spread out like an open umbrella
which it closely resembles at a dis
tance. The cypress-trees are mad,
to take the shape of cones, which
they well become. Those high trees
interspersed among the short mul
berry, horse-chestnut, silver-maple
and frui5 trees of many kinds, Will
grape-vines climbing up each, ana
the long vines stretching from on,
tree to the next, impart to the Who'll,
landscape an indescribable beauty
and charm of appearance. The va
rious hues of the foliage and .style'
of the trees add to the scenic effect
Among these trees, in this sort O
open forest, are planted and tilleC
many kinds of grain and root crops
The cultivation ismost careful. No
weed dare show its head. Ever
inch of earth is laid under the heavi
est tribute it will bear. The utmos
products that can be coaxed or ex
torted from Mother Earth by meant
of manuring, watering, deep spading
lime-dressing, and careful hoeing
are thus obtained. The pressure fol
subsistence is so great, the numbel
of mouths to be fed so numerous
that no labor or skill dare be spared
to produce the greatest possible
yield.
American farmers might suppose
that such a multitude of trees might
be injurious to the grain and roo
crops on account of the shade they
would create around. But such il
not the fact. The reason is, that the
branches of the trees
ARE KEPT WELL TRIMMED
just open enough to let through
them sufficient sunshine, and, at the
same time, to intercept the strong
rays of a semi-tropical sun, and
thereby reduce the heat and preserve
the moisture about the crops. Long
experience has taught the farmers
that better and surer crops can DC
grown where trees are planted as de-