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626 GERMANY, [Brandeburg.
^. 2. To the north it tcrininates on Meckhikirg and Pomerania, to the
eaft f)n Poland, to the Ibuth on Sl/r/ia, the Lu/alias, the eleftorate of
Saxmy, the principality of vf/z^W/, and the ducchy of Magdeburg, and to
the weil: alfo^on the dutchy of Magdeburg^ and hkewife on that of
Luncluyg. Its greatcft extent, from wefl to eaft, namely, from Diejdcrf
to Dricfcn, amounts to between forty-feven and forty-nine Gernnui
miles ;
and its greateft extent, from fouthto north, to twenty-four or thirty,
according as yon meafure it,
either through ZcJJenznA S/r^W^ or through
Sommerjchi and Scbievdbei?!. In other parts its extent every way is very
unequal and generally fmaller.
§.3. -The Mivk, as well as other countries, is not throughout equally
fertile. Sometrads in it are very fandy, notwithftanding which thefe lands,
when properly cultivated, yield rye, fmall barley and oats in abundance,
the corn here is thinner flielled than that which grows in a fatter foil.
The inhabitants know alfo how to employ thefe fand-bottoms to advantage
either in vineyards or gardens, or how to plant it with pine-trees, which thrive
well in thele parts. The Old and the TJcker-Mark, together with ihe
Havelland, the Ruppin circle, and feme others, but in particular the Bnickd'orfer
on the Oder^ have a very fruitful bottom, producing wheat, fpelt and
great barley in plenty. The Mark in general has, under the government
of the great King Frederick William, and his ftill greater fon and fuccefTor
Frederick II. acquired a quite different form. Agriculture here is univerfally
improved, large tradls of wafle land have been cultivated, fuperfluous
woods grubbed up, and in thofe parts villages erefted, as alfo deep and larg-e
morafles rendered dry and fruitful. Agriculture, however, is not the principal
thing followed in the Mark; for, though on the one hand fome corn
is exported out of it into the dutchy oi Lüneburg and Hamburg, yet, on the
other hand, it receives again the like quantity out of Pomerania and Sileßa.
Potatoes are very plentiful at Teltow in the Middle-Mark, and at Freienjiein
in the Prignitz are cultivated the fmall fort of turneps, which are alfo exported
; in the circles of Zauch and Teltoio is much millet, buck-w^heat
and flax ; in the Ucker-Mark great quantities of good tobacco ; in fome
tradls the herbs for dying, as crap, woad, and clary. The woods
here are of great importance as they furnifh the inhabitants not only with
fuel for domeftic ufes but Hkewife for their glafs and iron-houfes, charcoal,
tar and weed-aÜies, large quantities of timber for houfe and Ihip-building,
which is partly exported to Hamburg, Holland, Fr^wf^ and other places;
and bring into this country yearly many tons of gold in return. Care alfo
is taken to keep thefe woods, for the benefit of poilerity, in good condition:
but its moft important fubfiftance arifes from the breeding of cattle, and in
particular from the breed of fheep, in as much as by means of their fine
wool divers excellent woollen manufiidlories have been eftablifhed here. For
the improvement alfo of their breed of iheep, King Frederick II. has caufed
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