The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-11

Agriculture ii Iottugel.
aI \. :. |DCrEEEY

- 80 1-#
The cnures of land ii Northern Por-
tuGal a. III the kingdom generally. are
Of four sorts: II aliodial tenure,
where the cuI;ivator poese,se> the fee
simple: the t.nure ~ emphyteu.is.
which. IL is general character. re>em-
bles the estates Of copyhold in Eng
land. and By which the holder and
c~ultivator is virtually the proprietor.
owing a qait-rent in kind or money
and paving fines on succession anu
alterations; a tenure called %''parccria
rural" III which the land Is owned by
the landlord. who furnishes the stock
and farming implements, and divides
the profits with occupyer who tilla the
land: this system. under the name
''Parceria pecuaria," applies To prop
ertv III sheep and cattle. and a moditi-
cation of the tenure IS To be found IN
thos. districts where rights Of paatur-
ace arc common to a whole village or
hamlet; the fourth species Of tenure Is
lcasehoId. which differs but little IN
its various conditions and incidents
from ordinary holdings by lease for
wears IN other countries.
Agriculture, whom taken IN the
sense in which it is understood by the
intelligent farmers of the United
States. is in its most primitive state,
having made but little progress III
many years, or / might say, without
errine.. centuries. Farming i almost
exclusively on n small scale, limited by
the small size of the estates; and the
general reproach against small farm
inc. that il is unprogressiye, apples
truly to this country. Farms OF -
acres are uncommon: those Of , 10 u
are probably the average size.
A simple description Of q re-" OF the
implements used III farming Will be
sufficient to convince any one that
there has been no progress for many
wears: and it viii also account for the
seeming unproductiveness Of the soil
which. if properly titled would yield.
t 1D1illtlsiIll Iltt E1~l0- ~ - 500
present imperfect system of cultlva-
ton thousands of bushels OF grain are
annually imported from the jnitcd
States.
1t would require no great stretch q
the imagination to suppose the kind Of
plow, used for merely scratching the
surface of the earth. to bear a close re-
semblance TO the instrument with
which Romulus marked out the limits
of Rome This plow is made wholly y
rood. and consists Of beam, body,
/ share. sole. and one handle: looking -
if the whole thing might have been
shaped out of a forked tree. There +
neither coulter nor mould-board, but
the share (wooden1 is carried forward,
is lance-shaped. aud turned slightly
downward. The work of the mould
board Is done by two upright peSs a
the heel OF the plow: these pegs press
out the soil on either side. II plows
three or four inches deep, and is drawn
10y oxen
TIE clumsiest OF all Portuguese tools
is the moving or reapinG hook. 1t i
in shape a short segment of acircie. OF
which the arc is about a foot IL length.
the edge being serrated and very sharp,
the tuft Of grass IS taken in the left
hand and the edge Of the reaping-hook
is drawn against the stems. Isis need
less to observe that this mode of cut
ting grass Is very slow. The cart used
throughout Portugal i a modification
Of the old Roman type. Two low
wheels. Of solid wood, without spokes.
bat With iron tyres, are fixed immov-
ABLY to an axle which revolves with
them. The body Of tie cart is com
posed Of four or five boards. laid fiat
and resting on two supports, whose
lower sides are grooved where they
rest on the axle. The centre-board is
prolonged forward into a strong pole,
to which the oxen are h~arnee~ed. The
yoke is fixed. generally. to the neck-
OF the oxen. but III some parts Of the
country Itn' most hiilN F. y y HAel !,
their horns. and when SO fixed a
leathern cushion takes the pressure
from the foreheads OF the animals
When the cart IS IN motion. the turn.
ing cf the unGreased axle, makes :
harsh noise. which, as the ignorant
and superstitious people are wont t
believe, helps 10 quicken the snail
like pace of the oNen
OF course. improved machinery. j:
wholly unknown in this backward
country. Moving, blowing, thresh
ing ana cutting machines would be-
ridiculed. a the upstart and unworthy
ideas Of a foreign people. Any limo
htinn on the nresant Stntn aLL0 NJ