Lower Alecice produces corn Of all kinds in iptantitymore than enough for the consumption. Wheat is the chief grain crop ; spelt wheat is ex • tensively grown in the north ; rye also is an important crop; oats is but little grown except on the highlands. Madder and tobacco are objecti of careful cultivation in the valley of the Rhine; about 25,000 acres of the best soils are under tobacco culture. Excellent hemp is grown. Proni Cabbages, which are exten sively cultiVated and grow to an enormous size, a great quantity of choucroule or sauer kraut is made for export to Strasbourg and Germany. Among other productions must be named oleaginous seeds, onions, beans, hops, and gentian. Great quantities of large plums for preserving are grown ; and also cherries, from which excellent kirschwasser is made. About 11,000,000 gallons of wine are pro duced annually, one half of which goes to the home consumption: the rest is exported to the right bank of the Rhine. There is a great breadth of meadow land in the department. Horses and cows are very numerous, and of good breed : both oxen and horses are em ployed in agriculture. The number of sheep is comparatively small. Swine are reared in great numbers ; and also geese, the livers of which are used in making the famous Stras bourg pies. The woodlands are very exten sive ; considerable part of the timber is formed into small rafts, and floated down the Rhine to Mainz, where they are united, so as to con. stitute enormous rafts from 250 to 300 yards long, and 25 to 30 yards broad, conducted each by 300 or 400 men.
Iron ore is very abundant : 28 mines are worked. Lead, antimony, manganese, and some traces of silver are found. Coal mines are worked. Building stone, plaster of Paris, potters' clay, slates, and asphalte are quarried. Pebbles, admitting of a fine polish, are found hi the Rhine. The department contains seve ral mineral springs.
The industrial products are very important and numerous ; they comprise fine woollen cloths, linen, calico, sailcloth, cordage, straw hats, playing cards, room paper, hair brushes, horn combs, mineral acids, oils, soap, ivory black, ironmongery, hardware, saw-blades and tools of all kinds, fire-arms, swords, surgical instruments, gloves, buff leather, dressed skins, paper, &c. There are nume rous Madder mills, paper mills, potteries, bleach. works, breweries, tan-yards, cannon foundries, and 27 iron forges and furnaces. These branches of industry are chiefly carried on in the towns of Strasbourg, Bischwiller, Hagenan, Wasselonne, Saverne, Bouxwiller, Schelestadt, Weissembourg, Lauterbourg, &c.
Upper Alsace is situated somewhat farther to the south, or higher up the Rhine. Like the Lower district, it has numerous canals which are employed for floating timber and transporting merchandize. The products are similar to those of Lower Alsace, and more than suffice for the consumption, though for merly thiS was not the case. The annual vintage yields about 12,700,000 gallons, of which a 'considerable surplus above the home supply is exported to Switzerland and Ger many. A large quantity of kirschwasser is also made. 'the domestic animals are similar in kind and in number to those of Bas-Rhin; but goats are much more numerous. Even amid the mountains there are some very pro ductive valleys. Cultivation is carried on with great care. The abundant supply of wood in the Vosges Mountains furnishes fuel for the various manufactures of the department. It is floated down the streams which flow into the Ill or the Doubs.
Silver, copper, and lead are found: a great number of iron mines are worked ; also mines of antimony, coal, and asphalte; rock-crystal, marble, porphyry, granite, building stone, gypsum, potter's clay, marl, ochre, &c., are quarried. There are mineral springs in seve ral localities.
The industrial products are of the most varied description: this being one of the most active seats of the cotton manufacture in France. The manufactures generally com prise calicoes and printed cottons of all de scriptions, shawls, handkerchiefs, hosiery, fine woollen cloths, flaxen and hempen fabrics, ornamental paper, straw hats, chemical pro ducts, soap, leather of all kinds, ironmongery, iron wire, clock and watch movements, pot tery, Sm. There are also numerous cotton, thread, and woollen yarn factories; dye houses ; sugar-refineries ; establishments for distilling spirits from pressed grapes, corn, cherries, gentian, potatoes, and carreti; iron furnaces and forges, paper-mills, breweries, tanyards, potteries, and glaSs works. Colmar, Guebwiller, Mariakirche, Rouffach, Wintzen beim, INGIILHAUSEN, 13elfort, Cernay, Thaun, and 3Iassevaux are the chief towns in which these varied manufactures are carried on.
The phief articles of commerce are the leading industrial products, together with wine, spirits, steel, bar iron, iron castings, watch and clock moye• meats, fruit trees, cattle, (to. We may reason ably expect that Alsace will well maintain the reputation of French manufacture§ in the approaching display of the world's industry.