y the line which terminates the snows lying on them. This
line begins at their foot northwardly, and rises as they pass on to
the south, so as to be half way up their sides on the most southern
undulations of the mountain now in view. From the mountains to Turin we
see no tree tenderer than the walnut. Of these, as well as of almonds
and mulberries, there are a few: somewhat more of vines, but most
generally willows and poplars. Corn is sowed with all these. They mix
with them also clover and small grass. The country is a general plain;
the soil dark, and sometimes, though rarely, reddish. It is rich, and
much infested with wild onions. At Racconigi I see the tops and shocks
of maize, which prove it is cultivated here: but it can be in small
quantities only, because I observe very little ground but what has
already something else in it. Here and there are small patches prepared,
I suppose, for maize. They have a method of planting the vine, which I
have not seen before. At intervals of about eight feet they plant from
two to six plants of vine in a cluster At each cluster they fix a forked
staff, the plane of the prongs of the fork at a right angle with the
row of vines. Athwart these prongs they lash another staff, like a
handspike, about eight feet long, horizontally, seven or eight feet from
the ground. Of course, it crosses the rows at right angles. The vines
are brought from the foot of the fork up to this cross-piece, turned
over it, and conducted along over the next, the next, and so on, as far
as they will extend, the whole forming an arbor eight feet wide and high
and of the whole length of the row, little interrupted by the stems of
the vines, which being close around the fork, pass up through hoops, so
as to occupy a space only of small diameter. All the buildings in this
country are of brick, sometimes covered with plaister, sometimes not.
There is a very large and handsome bridge, of seven arches, over the
torrent of Sangone. We cross the Po in swinging batteaux. Two are placed
side by side, and kept together by a plank-floor, common to both, and
lying on the gunwales. The carriage drives on this, without taking out
any of the horses. About one hundred and fifty yards up the river is a
fixed stake, and a rope tied to it, the other end of which is made fast
to one side of the batteaux, so as to throw them oblique to the current.
The stream then acting on them, as on an inclined plane, forces them
across the cu