Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-16
'SEE NAPLES and Die. "
Editorial COrrespondence.)


This series Of letters. which win soon terminate
were from our Editor just returned but which we
have not had sufficient space TO publish earlier.l
The trip over the swift railroad from
Rome to Naples takes half day, but
the whole route is of interest. Passing
out Of the "eternai city" and through
an intertsice Of the ancient wall we run
along the Appain sand Latin ways for
awhile and follow for miles the ruins of
the great aqueduct.-in some places as
perfect as eighteen hundred years ago
and in others destroyed by war, vandals
and the brick-layers who later con-
structed the smaller and lower aqueduct
in use today.
We get into the valley between the
Sabine and Alhan mountain ranges and
are busy viewing ruins of Volscian
times that our guide-book points out as
we speed along. Castles and monas-
teries. old and new, are on the heights
on either side, and here are the ruins of
a town where ruled prince in splendor
seven hundred years before Christ.
Shortly we getin poor country and
for several hours we see the poorest
crops in all Italy. No horses here, but
lets Of donkeys. dogs and oxen. Strange
to say, the cattle look well, comparing
favorably with any on the continent
except the picturesque belted cattle Of
Holland. All the cattle-oxen and cows
are Of one color, dingy cream or
light mouse-color, with great horns even
on the cows, like our Texas steers. They
are an odd as well as pleasing sight.
The farmer is blowing for second or
may be third crop, with yoke of light
mole-coloured large-frame steers, or
with little donkey and a great. big
OK. His plow is of wood, point, mould
board and all, very slight improve
meat on the implement we see in the
museums of the ancient Etruscans.
Speaking of the Etruscans. the fore
runners and enemies Of the Romans.
the museums of Europe are full of
their relics and discoveries. More than
twenty-five hundred years ago we find
safety-pins used by the Etruscan ladies
for fastening their mantles around them.
The fellow that invented our latter
day baby-pin evidently stole his ideas
and pattern from the ancients. and like
most of such thieves made great for
tune out Of it.
Work doesn't agree with the southern
Italian even as much as his northern
brother. unless. as we have said before,
he is working" the tourist or gather
ing the fruits that Nature has so boun-
tifully given him without any other
effort on his part. The hill and noun
tain sides have long since been denuded
of any but occasional patches of scrub
timber, and these are now filled with
olive groves. The olive resembles much
our short-leaf swamp willow, showing
a little more light on and under the
leaf. So striking is the resemblance,
even when close to it, that we Travelled
for miles wondering what the Italians
could possibly do with such vast orchards
Of willows. When informed that they
were olives we began closer inspection.
The first or second crop (vegetatior
bears the year round here) this year had
been gathered, and heyoung of another
crop had reached the size ofa green pea.
Olive oil flows here like wine all owe,
southern Europe and is Of small value
where raised.
Some vegetables, much grass (because
it grows without labor) and little corr
fodder pulled and shucking season or
in August-are to be seen here. Anc
most of the farm work is done by wo-
men and children, all classes and sexes
working on Sunday as if it were a week
day. AS in other sections one becomes
surfe;ted with grapes and the sights OF
vineyards. The grapevine in centra
and southern Italy is something profuse
Posts and arbours no longer can hole
the vine. Great orchards of cotton
wood trees are planted out, and at the
base of each tree is growing a vine
whose trunk is as large as your arm
and whose foliage mounts halfway uE
the tall poplar and extends on eacl
side halfway to meet the companion
vine reaching out from its tree. Some
times q strand of wire is used between
the trees. but oftener the vine itself i.
locked with the next vine. The grape.
are luxuriantly pendant and hav,
to be gathered with ladders, as d,