The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07

III. milliops OF poasants In Italy nnd 1t hard
IN oet enough from tho soil to feed themselves
and to keep tho thousands of landlords In q
greater OF less degree OF lazy luxury. On the
mains tho country people do manage to have
broad with their wine, or fruit. or vegetables,
hut the mountAineers would DO only too glad 70
work for enough dry broad.
italy is q mountainous country, and at 1000
feet above the sea in the Apcnninos tho low an
nual temperature does not favor luxurious vego-
,atiop. There grapes and Hgs cease TO ripon,
vegetables grow poor and scarce, corn 10 dis
eased and chubby" and grain natures impcr-
foutly. Az one asconds tho prospect OF iood
grows worse, and at 1900 feet the tiny grain
plots would seem contemplate 10 our Western
farmers These littlo " bois," rather than zelda.
arc actually proppod up by solid stono walls,
which keep tho precious soil from washing down
the mountain side. Some OF tho terraces arc bus
two or three yards wide.
The highest point Of the Apennines is over
5000 feet, and all along up tho mountains for
moro than half that height thousands of per.
sons are trying to wrench u living from MothaP
Earth. 1t an altitude of 1000 feet l read this
inscription on a farmhouse gate: "ltirhose
summer temperature 25' centigrade," which IL
about ~ Fahrenheit, and this 10 reached only
ton times or so during the summer. From 1000
feet M even wheat and potatoes refuse to grow,
and chestnut trees furnish tho sole hope of tood.
In fact s ansn !, are asa one one ss cam Walk " for miles
and miles In chestnut groves. The trees ARE
planted : n d It PpoP Eson in.et tSsy DO sn mo-. a Naturally seeh w at.
tain 10 a great height; ,,, .,r., =, than cox.
the highest tree scarcely rises ivy feet aboxS
It's Lowest St o nTeiEnSS0EF or !, Nc So SnIS1 nst only d eaesps
from the no%urishment Of the trees, but interfers
With the gathering Of the Ss,o ohest nv anal. some nes OF
ant farmers, but tho bulk OF them are owned
by the gentry, who reside in the towns
s sRaro FH prlnS SHi 'n z pe ssSnss', Ssill take e. one Sr
two or more Thousand trees. keep them MI in
the Tuscan peasants this hopeiy JOKE, Is cur.
f half Of Pn the %As crop fS"' Among An; ama sSenselyes' the
s%trIctest honesty prevails, and although there
&c. fbH n th wS hun SleShe peS os Glhs MdSa fiHP9 aot pick ndeS up g's :
chestnut under his neigh6or,s tree; Ar un-
E Sis H1oa lsT n s,lG %s, e n %hs ss s shs so %ass H Esi e
leads to much Ingenious tronchtng and ter.
a dsSinf t. prevent the 'Ao''nat' from rolling
Whatever falls into q public path or highway
B Bele ons bS to the Inc P"Sne ey Of So% psnsant E0 %iii ds aRS
to sstss s9 say Of r h!s R sSh nIt su wa,oh q fs eIea 1has
poor Ss thu turn Gbs Sa5 %i,h w fSss s bszo '4 1sIlsa t hsat Ing
Within the groyes arc many rude stone huts,
where tenants hts heap t the strag,Eli nG,d fsll ,. OF
harvest home, in early November is the ais-
oid and and Young esastI turn n out together * to thrash ths
trees and pick the nuts. with singing and
The sun sets at 8 o'clock in the afternoon. ana
everybody troops home gayly. ALTERNATING, .
with ut, the point Of view. aud an Aponnine family
asks nothing better than q caldron OF hot pota-
bees be- ep pollsa IN es sSts 4 %s Cooked 9ri !, VIE ihes sh Saan' ma q
olive oil are highly satisfactory.
th MSst sps p%Ssi1if6 or tho hSH Harvest 's i ho%e 70 ana nss ssh sems;
befoIsh an 4 to t that n PURPOSE and The lne, finger ger o. sHor e
do her duty at this time.
When our pct goat ate up four seraegly cab.
nsEishb srG I thosas 81 to toe m aoesSs ssppi 81 amends 4 RsdissSS 81
sending her four full. round heads from my own
s shra af ano Ioh: s vi 81 Not she me s eabib w,.a Z saas sos'
but when we work hard in the wind and wet at
1 nle. eh be-. cabbage hsry Is so ii Is 50 . SSoS a to h issa that "
The loft over a peasant'ss Kitchen has' a aoor
@"as of sIo %h f1s. 3 FIRE Hs E Is SSIlt af is p ehs n shs fess e
me stone floor below: Doors and windows are
nuts. The small windows never lose their dingy
look. for mob nobody d dreams ga >, Of cleaning Gs them, and
Xftef the chestnuts are well dried and hulled.
they are sent to a rude mill, where they are soon
sweet. The Chestnut milestone is Of far ooarser
fE asts a tssn f fonty u ss"r soF ssr oma 81 t tSo mi fna , ons
very ancient. and not q few date back to tho
S sSiftI into . moss:srcwn vail. !! ! asked ed the white White:
haired mi Ter what he thought about It's age;
90. before was born. but he told my father that
the millston.e, was set in tho wall before his
The years store of chestnut -four is kept in o
big chest which stands In the kitchen, and 10
il carved a date Of two or three centuries ago.
but the wood is as firm and solid rs II cut last
EEeaT: for Th the e tsSIs Is to %n Si Gf Pre gp Wi,6 e as,sF ~
q wooden bowl, and then boil the ~porridge in q
ii IS ppSre xst out on W ths de aIn tsb Shs s stidI; a 2fow coo %sse
steel BLADE being, considered Injurious to tho
But iftho family cook be in q good humos, she
makes her household happy by baking necei.
buck " cakes. They are tough; siofeningly
sweet: and very indixestibl., ySt they are tho
unique; it consists OF round tiles Clipped from
in a corner when not in use. ,Thsss tiles are
heated in the ashes Of " wood fire. and then
p' Tilo "tt teS, "l s' is spread HHrSdI .hieeikly with the batter.
rods Of tho rack, After baking between the
served hot for supper, and what Is left over viii
be eaten cold for 'o,morrow's breakiast.
i leaves" ready ID to line the tSs'S BAKING % ,i dssea T fnss snthe
t frinS Is nn the s' worf Il n n ' gesnF !G iaIfs. Who IN th Ss Ss,
1t the occasion of much fun.
Word gets abroad that a strinEing Doe is on
hand AZ a certain house. and soon after supper
tho rusti maids appear with needle and thread.
They string and CHI ttter busily for an hour or so.
when the SWANS begin to. drop In, and dancing
is In order. The music IN furnished by a cracked
fiddle or II wheezy accordion or by some obliging
Whistler.
ono cnn scarcely speak of Apennino peasantry
without emphasizin9 tho fact that for ten
months in The year their hill of fare alternatea
between chestnut porrldee and chestnut cakes.
y is small wonder, then, that In October and
November frcshly boiled chestnuts are well
coined az, n dainty novelty. The daily house.
hold problem ceases to be. "Porridgc or nsccfT
ana becomes inste I'd, 4" Bdiotte or tigii0fe ?"
Raione are chestnuts which have boon boiled
In the hun. and ~tigiiate are those which have
been hul'ed previous TO being boiled In water.
and 49, Soned with salt and fennel seed. On 70.
Inonstrating WIN a woman who had prepare .
half bushcl OF ttGlf1te for tho supper Of her fam.
lily Of ak, | MaB silnncrh by lie .nnnidnnl rnnim