rs are what they were two
centuries ago, and yet here are the grappling-irons of civilisation. No
doubt a change will come to all this substratum of humanity, but it
takes time. Even the railways in these wilder parts have not exactly
settled themselves down to the inexorable limits of "time tables." It
occurred on this very journey that we stopped at some small station, for
no particular reason as far as I could see, for nobody got in or out;
but the heat was intense, and so we just made a halt of nearly an hour.
I could not make out what was up at first, but looking out I saw the
stokers, pokers, and engine-driver all calmly enjoying their pipes,
seated on the footboard on the shady side of the train! Some one or two
people remarked that the officials in this part of the world were lazy
fellows, but the passengers generally appeared in no great hurry, and
after a while the train moved on again. At several places on the line we
passed luggage trains waiting on the siding for their turn to be sent on
to Buda-Pest. In many of these open trucks we noticed a considerable
number of those fine Podolian oxen, common in these parts, and lots of
woolly-haired pigs, that look for all the world like sheep at a
distance.

The effect of tapping these out-lying districts is already producing its
natural result; the cultivator finds a ready market for his produce, and
the value of land is rising, and "_must_ rise in Hungary," says
Professor Wrightson in his report on the agriculture of the
Austro-Hungarian empire.[23]

In approaching Debreczin we noticed frequent instances of the
efflorescence of soda-salts upon the surface of the soil. This
occurrence greatly impairs the fertility of some parts of the Alfoeld.
Land drainage would probably cure this evil, but I do not fancy any
serious experiments have been tried. Skill and labour have not yet been
brought to bear on the greater part of the land in Hungary. It is a
country where a vast deal has yet to be done, and such are the
prejudices of the common people that improvements cannot be introduced
at once and without some caution; in fact, the material conditions of
the country itself and the climate necessitate considerable experience
on the part of any foreigner who may settle in Hungary and think to
import new fashions in agriculture.

Stopping at Debreczin only long enough to get a little supper at the
station restaurant, we pursued our journey through the night. I do not
imag