There are two navigable canals. The most Important is the great canal for joining the Rhone and the Rhine, formerly called Cenal-de Uoneleur. This canal enters the department on the month side from the adjacrezt department of Ilaut-lthin, and, running northward along the 'airy of the Rhine, opens into the Ill just above Strasbourg. The renal of the Bench* commences near the junction of the Moseig and the Bruche, and follows the valley of the latter river till its junction with the Ill juM above Strasbourg.
Clineote.—The department has long and cold winters; the spring is short, the heat of summer succeeding very rapidly to the cold of winter. The vicinity of the Vosges Mountains, on which snow remains till June or July, renders the summer liable to sudden transitions to cold. The autumns are uniformly long and very fine. Tho climate is generally healthy, but cretinism and gottro are very prevalent in parts : in 1852 there were 125 cretins and 873 goitrous persons, not idiots, in the department, spread among tho population of 38 communes. The causes of these diseases are unknown ; they prevail to a less extent than formerly, owing it is said to the drainage of the marshes and the extended cultivation of the soil.
Soil, Agriculture, &c—Tha soil of the mountains is rocky, and in great degree barren ; that of the immediate bank of the Rhine is marshy; but the flat which occupies the Intervening space is rich and highly cultivated. About 450,000 acres are under the plough. The produce in, corn is more than enough for the consumption. The chief crops are wheat, spelt, rye, mixed corn, and maize. Potatoes are grown in large quantities. In oats the produce is small. Tobacco has been cultivated for two centuries in this department; about 25,000 acres of the beet land are under tobacco culture. Madder is success fully cultivated. The oleaginous seeds grown are the poppy and the rape. Excellent hemp and hops are grown. Cabbages are very exten sively cultivated, and a great quantity of ichoucroute,' or sauerkraut, is exported to Germany. Other products are—onions, beans, gentian, plums, and cherries of which kirschwaeser is made. About 11,000,000 gallons of wino are made annually from about 32,000 acres of vine yards. There is a good breadth of meadow land. Horses, cows, and pigs are very numerous. Geese are reared in great numbers; their livers are used in making the famous Strasbourg pies. The number of sheep is comparatively small. Both oxen and horses are employed in agriculture. The orchards and gardens cover about 15,000 acres. The woodlands are very extensive, amounting to nearly 300,000 acres. A considerable part of the timber is formed into small rafts, and Boated down the Rhine to Mainz, where they are united so as to constitute enormous rafts from 250 to 300 yards long, and 25 to 30 yards broad, conducted each by 300 or 400 men. A part of the timber is sawn into deals and planks in Holland. Tho abundance of timber
supplies not only sufficient fuel for domestic purposes, but also fur nishes some for manufacture'. It is not however sufficient for tho demand, and a considerable quantity of coal is imported to make up the deficiency of wood.
The internal navigation of the department, including the Rhine (which is navigable all along the eastern frontier), amounts to about 200 miles in length. The department is traversed by 7 imperial and 32 departmental roads, and by the Paris-Strasbourg and Strasbourg Basel railways.
The manufactures of the department are very important, comprising woollen-cloths of all descriptions, calicoes, linen, hate, playing-cards, room-paper, soap, oil, chemical products, ironmongery, hardware, mechanical and edge tools, fire-arms, gloves, surgical instruments, paper, &c. There are numerous breweries, tan-yards, paper-mills, madder-mills, and iron-works.
Divirion8, Towns, .tc.—The department is divided into four arron dissements, which, with their subdivisions and population, are as follows:— 1. Of the first arrondissement and of the whole department the chief town is STRASBOURG. Bitchwiller, a manufacturing town of 6700 inhabitants, is situated on the Moder, 13 miles N. from Stras bourg. Its fortifications were dismantled in 1706. Brumalk, is supposed to occupy the site of Brocomagus, a town of the Tribocci population of the commune 3760. Brumath is 11 miles from Stras bourg by the railway to Paris. Molsheim, is in a wine growing district at the eastern foot of the Vosges. It is a tolerably well-built town situated on the Bruche W. by S. from Strasbourg, and has about 3380 inhabitants, who manufacture tools, cutlery and other hardwares, and paper. Mutrig, in a valley near the foot of the Vosges, is a walled town with 3500 inhabitants. ll'amelonne, W. of Strasbourg on the Mossig, has manufactures of svoollen-yarn, woollen-hose, paper, and leather ; bleach-grounds for linen, and 4300 inhabitants. Haguenau, a pretty fortified town on the Moder, was founded by the emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and was one of the imperial cities of Alsace ; its privileges were abolished after the conquest of Alsace by Louis XIV. in 1675 and 1705 it was besieged by the imperialists : in the second siege they were successful, but the town was retaken by the French soon after. In 1793 the imperialists and Prussians were defeated near the town by the French. Haguenau is surrounded by old walls, strengthened by towers and a ditch. It has manufactures of cotton yarn and calico; and of woollen-cloth, cordage, soap, pitch, tiles pottery, and earthenware. Thero are several oil-mills, gypsum-mills; madder-mills (a great quantity of madder is grown round the town), tan-yards, and breweries. There are four yearly fairs for cattle and general merchandise. The town has five churches and a synagogue; a college, and a military hospital : population 10,500.