The graft- in- the vailles, or pear- the' bouffes* is. cut: For hay, and
though- in moH places. it be mowed with a iqythey yefc im fome,
like the grain, it is reaped with a fickle; after which it is hang to
'«fey 0® hefgfers. Thdfe hefgiers arey moveable garden, confiding
only of poles- fejUened together, both- in- the length and breadth,
by birch twigs, where the hay dries much" better, and the rain
evaporates- {berner, than when left to- lye on the ground ■ *. The
pedant dongs his- meadows as well as fields, though the former
but lightly. When the mofe is grown fo high, as to obftrufet the
growth of the- grafs, whereby very great damages are done in
many plaices, the experienced hufbandman is not without a remedy,
either plowing up the meadow todeftroy the roofs, or
ftrewing it over thick with fand, if any can be had in the neighbourhood.
But according to the before-mentioned Mr. Peter
Schroder, who is a very experienced huibandman, nothing is more
certain and effectual for this purpofe, than turf-alhes, where turf
is burnt, or m a woody country to bum turf merely for the lake
of the allies, and lay them on thick over the meadows, which are
thus damaged by the luxuriancy of the mois. . For the firft year
indeed this method makes no great alteration, but m the following
it is recommended by the moft happy efîfeâs, producing the
fineft and melloweft grafs, intermixed with many falubrious flowers.
The lèverai kinds of greens growing here bolides the common
fort, are holly, quick, wild tanfy, rulhes, fodge, goofc-oats,
bknfen, (rulhes) Iheer-graft, iglegras, ftoergras, (large grafs) or
tourgras, of which fome particulars Ihall be oblferved ip the lequel,
I am not acquainted with the kind of graft or plant with Ihort
broad leaves, to which fome here give the name of Viola Çanina,
but by it, and fome leaves of fcrrel, the lives of two brothers were
wonderfully fupported for feveral days. The Angularity of this
ftory is Rich, that I cannot forbear inferring here a fliort abftraft
of it, for however it may appear a digreflion, yet it .is not very
unufual, in an account of the lèverai plants of a country, and it is
befides an interefting faéfc, as it fomilhes more than one inftance
of the care of providence over perions in the extremity of diftrefs.
It may be read more at large in Oluf Bangs collections, p. 508.
* I have fince been informed; that thefe Heefgierare ufed only in the diocefe of
Bergen, they not being fo neceffary in other parts, where the rains are not & frequent.
Olafe
Olafe and Andrew Erigelbrechtlen, bortu ifi the farm-houfe of A leaatL
Toxeft,^i|i;fthe\pa^ifo-of ''Oul{MHal in 'Gplbrandfdal, brothers a n d aWe Boiy‘
ftudents, fet out- onatherirfb-pf Auguft, l6 'j 2,.from. tJjLe faid houfe of
Toxen, to take^tiie diverfion-of?foootagaiad filhing for a few,days,
in the high-mountains, which fepafate Guldbranfdal from the province
of Valders. On .the fecond ofiAijguft, after proceeding about four
hJorway,|jiil?sj. they came to'JU large «wafer called, thejlake q£|lef,
Where, they- flayed fofj^daysi; On -the fixtb of/Augy f l l ^ y , were £qi,
returning home, butfirft, rowed-away .tpa-yery fmall ifland in that;
Mke, - being but fixteen paces long and ijd fa s broad; i,to draw up a
Djpt which they: b^d fpreadr fh.efe.i- - }hey£#gf e’-ion this fflanrf
byca-fodden florin at-eaft, their Ikiff broke tlqofe^ and .was-carried
cwM to the other foare.^by this accident*-as- neither of them could
fwim, they faw themfelves in .extreme,danger of petilbing .with
hunger-. jfsAfter; having.'.'fafled the firftjriayiuihey; t|tp • "
fpace ofctfvelfe days, deftitute of any kind of fubftftence, ' except
'only the wild': vegetable, :which: introducedI /thi^ ftory, - |ta;^ialai
Canina'and lorrel.* -Befides hunger, had ^Slo Ifevefe- wfeds- and
colds to- ftruggle with, efpeeially).'in-.'thef might*^ and -feeing;' tut
thinly eloathed, as-.their travelling tf^cefiaries-weie :oii the banks Qg
the lake, they muft foon«have periflied withe cold, had"-not the
invention of one of them fuggefted to build a Untie hutidf flohesl,1
where they anight in fome, meafure be.-flickered from the weather."
Their. nexfcoare was to fearch, if this little- fpofe^d nQtr.afordfome-
fucculfent vegetables, their appetite now beginning. to^grow keen
towards the end of the fecond Iky.; i but their fitft -foarches were'
fttfedefs, CatLlaft-ihey alighted upon a kind 'of bread leaved grafs,
without doubt Viola - Canina, lofi which, twice 'a-day, each '“ate
about an$ounce, ‘ that being all they could find afe'one time, and'
afs-in this extremity'-they frequently' imploredthe ■ affiftanee till
heaven, -lb1 their flender repafts were conftantly- attended ’-with a
pfoyer.' 'They, tried ’-dfo the leaves of« feme bulhes' but found'
them too bitter.in After thus devbutly- paring their*pittances Sp
that?* graft, .their Ipirits and ftqmachs* were .refreshed- -and : the
acute pains they-felt 4n their arms and Ihouldefs abated. ■ Blit the
moft femarkable cirfeumftance'in this* folfori&agg was thei:happy
proportion infwhich it was-derit out'-to-them,- arid the fodderire-
pfodudtion of it; for, according to their-Own aCc-eiuht, which they
M p l t ' G g ; them-.