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498 GERMANY. [Erbach.
and ten years ; after which the buflies, heath, and whatever elfe they are
over-run with, are cut down in time of harveft, dug and tore out with the
roots, and a part alfo of the turf, and being laid together in heaps, as foon
as they become dry, are fet on fire ; the aflies of which are fpread abroad,
and then is the land ploughed up and fown. This labour is called grubbing.
In general there are cultivated yearly in this county about 73,91 1 coombs
of rye, fpelt, wheat, barley, oats and buck-wheat, which are fufficient for
the ufe of the inhabitants. They alfo cultivate yearly to the amount of
44,000 coombs of potatoes. The beft paflures and meadows here lie in
the vallies. There are alfo annually prepared at leafl three hundred centners
of pot-afli in this county. The wine in the prefedurate of Schonberg
on the Bergftrafz is called the Bergßrafzer ; but that which grows near
Keichcnbcrg is better and not unlike Ehenißi. The wine of Wildenßei?i alfo
is good, but the other wines here are of no great value. Its forefts are
become thin, and many pieces of ground which were formerly taken up
with woods have been converted into arable land; but at prefent they begin
again to plant wood. The breeding of cattle here is pretty confiderable.
There are good ftone-quarries and marble here. Formerly, but that only
for a little while, fome mines of filver, copper, lead and quickfilver were
likewife worked here, and there are even ftill fome good mines of iron,
which are kept open ; and in the fmelting-furnace near Furßamu are
yearly fnielted, within the fpace of twenty weeks, about 3360 centners of
that metil ; and near Michelfindf, and in the villages of Schellnbach and
Giunmclsbdch are iron forges. The rivulets which take their rife in this
country, among which the Mnmling\% the principal, all difcharge themfelves
into the Mayn, Rhifje and Neckar, and abound in fifli.
§.4. The inhabitants amount to between twenty-three and twenty-four,
thoufand fouls. The country, as well as the houfe of Erbach, profefTes
itfelfof ihit Luthera?i church. Its exports confift of fine meal made of
fpelt, oats, buck-wheat, wood, coals, pot-afii, cattle, iron, nuts, honey and
wax. The wool! produced here is manufacftured into cloth.
§. 5. The ancient Dynaßa of Erbach, after their attainment of the palatine-olhce
of hereditary cup-bearer, generally ftyled themfelves Schenke?!, or
cup-bearers, o^ Erbach, or Schenken Lords of Erbach. In the year 1532,
the Ennperor Charles V. with the confent of Leivis, the Eledtor-palatine,
raifed Schenken Eberhard, Lord of Erbach, and the legitimate heirs of
his body and defcendants, to the State of Counts of the Empire, and the
feigniory of Erbach to the degree of a county. Count George Albrechty
great-grandfon to the faid Eberhard, who died in the year 1647, had, among
other children, tvv'o fons, who founded two principal lines of the houfe of
Erbach: that is to fay, Count George Lewis that of Erbach, and Count
George Albrecht that oi Furßcnaii. The former of thefe lines became extind:
in the year 173 (, in the perfon of Count irt'^/^nV;^ Charles, upon which i'ts
fliare