The almond, the hardiest plant, loses its fruit the
oftenest on account of its forwardness. The palm, hardier than the caper
and the orange, never produces perfect fruit in these parts. Coni is a
considerable town, and pretty well built. It is walled.
April 16. _Centale. Savigliano. Racconigi. Poirino. Turin_. The Alps,
as far as they are in view from north to south, show the gradation of
climate by the line which terminates the snows lying on them. This
line begins at their foot northwardly, and rises as they pass on to
the south, so as to be half way up their sides on the most southern
undulations of the mountain now in view. From the mountains to Turin we
see no tree tenderer than the walnut. Of these, as well as of almonds
and mulberries, there are a few: somewhat more of vines, but most
generally willows and poplars. Corn is sowed with all these. They mix
with them also clover and small grass. The country is a general plain;
the soil dark, and sometimes, though rarely, reddish. It is rich, and
much infested with wild onions. At Racconigi I see the tops and shocks
of maize, which prove it is cultivated here: but it can be in small
quantities only, because I observe very little ground but what has
already something else in it.
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